HOW $500MILLION DEAL WITH BILLIONAIRE AUTHUR EZE FACILITATED THE SACK OF EX COAS KENNETH MINIMAH, OTHERS

Prior to their sack by President Buhari on Tuesday July 13, 2015, there have being mounting pressure on the Presidency to replace Service Chiefs because of their inability to combat the dreaded Boko Haram sect and many shady deals they have being involved in. Of all the sacked Service Chiefs the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah seems to have been singled out for a special probe by the General Muhammadu Buhari administration.

According to information available the level of allegations against him are so tremendous with so much documents, evidences and protests against some of the excesses perpetrated. A petition that was sent to the new government is said to have complicated issues, part of what was stated in the petition is Kenneth Minimah’s closeness to former Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan. Ordinarily, Minimah is supposed to take orders from the Ministry of Defence but in reverse he instructs them on what he wants. He counters approvals of the Minister of Defence on military contracts and due to the fear of the First Lady, nobody questions him. It is this weakness that sacrificed the due process of contracts on arms acquisition. The documents in relation to such contracts were attached to the petition to the President-elect who was alarmed with the recklessness with which such processes were conducted.

Another petition sent to President Buhari details the alleged $500 million defence contract awarded to Arthur Eze for purchase of refurbished helicopters. Listed in the petition are the National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki, Chief of Defence Staff Alex Badeh and Chief of Army Staff Kenneth Minimah. Several cases of corruption, impunity and illegality were given deep bite including a long list of houses that Minimah is alleged to have bought in Abuja. We also gathered that the sacked Service Chiefs ran a system whereby funds allocated for  buying equipment for the prosecution of the boko haram insurgency are diverted for other use, monies go out but no equipment comes in.

In a press release, Mr Buhari appointed Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin as Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General T.Y. Buratai as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as Chief of Naval Staff. Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff; Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan as Chief of Defence Intelligence. Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) as the new National Security Adviser taking over from Sambo Dasuki who resigned last week.

The Chiefs relieved of their appointments, include Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin and Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and others