Monguno’s comment: Funds can’t go missing under Buhari, says presidency

The Presidency has reacted to the claim of Maj. Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.) that funds meant for the purchase of arms got missing under the former service chiefs.

In an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Friday, Monguno had said a huge amount of money President Muhammadu Buhari approved for arms purchase could not be accounted for.

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“It is not that we are not working to end the security challenge in the country. The president has done his own part and allocated huge amount of money to purchase weapons but they are yet to be here. We don’t know where they are. I am not saying that the past Service Chiefs have diverted the money, but presently we don’t know where the money is,” he had said.

But after a backlash, Moguno recanted saying he was quoted out of context.

Speaking when he featured on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said funds can’t get missing under Buhari.

Shehu said the NSA was misquoted, stressing that Monguno did not accuse the ex-service chiefs of misappropriation of funds.

“About the $1bn taken from the Excess Crude Account with the consent of state governors used for military procurements, I want to assure you that nothing of that money is missing.

“The reference by it in the interview of the BBC Hausa Service by the National Security Adviser has been misconstrued and mistranslated.

“NSA made two critical points –one is that we don’t have enough weapons which is a statement of facts; and two procurements made have not been fully delivered.

“At no point did the NSA say that money has been misappropriated and that no arms is seen. They have not been delivered, that is correct; these are things you don’t get off the shelves.

“People are just been political, they want to draw moral equivalent between the PDP and the APC administrations – we are not the same, things like this cannot happen under a Buhari administrations,” Shehu said.