BY BANYO TEMITAYO
THE Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, on Monday, told the House of Representatives to invite his predecessors to shed more light on specific issues relating to arms procurement, which they were interested in.
Having submitted the Executive Summary of the report demanded by the representatives on the issue, he said any other explanation would be best given by his predecessors as he had just assumed office.
He said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the Purchase, Use and Control of Arms, Ammunition and Related Hardware by Military, Paramilitary and Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria in the last 10 years.
The COAS did not mention specific names but since the investigation covers the last 10 years, his predecessors are: Lt-Gen Azubuike Ihejirika (retd), COAS between September 2010 and January 2014; Lt-Gen Kenneth Minimah (retd), COAS between January 2014 and July 2015; and Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai (retd), the immediate past COAS.
The committee members had said that after the submission of documents, the COAS was expected to speak on the document before taking questions.
But Attahiru said, “The summation before you speaks to the report before you. It is an executive summary, it is self-explanatory. When you demanded this report,.you stated specifically the areas from which you wanted this report.
“You may wish to recall that the COAS took over the mantle of leadership barely two months ago. The period from which you wanted this report, having been summarised in the Executive summary, explains whatever details you will require. Issues of procurement that you so demand to know were done by specific individuals.
“I would rather you call these individuals to come and explain to you very specific issues. The general issue has been contained in the report and the summary and the other executive summary is so contained. It goes to speak about the entire report and it explains it.”
He also told the House that he was not able to honour the previous invitation as a result of pressing national assignments.
But rep member Ejiofor Oghene asked him to apologise, even after his explanation.
“The explanation all along is understandable, considering the security situation in the country and knowing that your position demands a lot of your time going around,” he said.
“So, one would have expected that today that you are able to honour this invitation, there would have been something that sounds like an apology for not being able to make it all along. What we have gotten is an explanation,” Oghene added.
But the COAS insisted that his explanation was as good as an apology.
“Mr Chairman, just like the last speaker, said that we are partners in progress and I believe that too. But you said I offered an explanation, it is as good as an apology. It only tells you the reasons I was here and the reasons are cogent enough. Even the blind man knows there are problems of internal security in Nigeria. So, I think it suffices to explain to this honourable House my inability to be here,” he said.
“The way you work for the Nigerian people is the same way I work for the Nigerian people. I commend the Nigerian Army that is also peopled by Nigerians, representatives of everywhere you come from,” he added.
