How dirtier could it get? The more the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan is scrutinized, the clearer it becomes that it consisted mainly of clowns, who saw governance as a money sharing bazaar.
The Nation yesterday scooped another messy scandal involving the office of the former National Security Adviser, which was headed by the embattled Sambo Dasuki.
Dasuki, already entangled in the $15billion arms deal mess, is again being finger-pointed in the alleged disappearance of $40million(N13.6billion), approved by Jonathan for negotiation for the release of the Chibok girls.
Part of the envisaged deal, The Nation gathered on “good authority” was for Boko Haram to also concede to a demand for ceasefire.
The “under-the-table negotiation” hit brick wall because Boko Haram leadership was not interested in any deal.
However, the $40million earmarked for the handshake with Boko Haram vanished and remained unaccounted for – prompting a probe by the Federal Government.
Various school of thoughts emerged as to what happened to the money. One had it that the money was handed over to the president of a neighbouring country. While another said it was in the ‘custody’ of a former presidential aide. The cash was allegedly drawn from the Office National Security Adviser by the former top presidential aide.
A source familiar with scandal told the Nation that :”the government is probing how about $40million was allegedly spent by the administration of ex-President Jonathan to ‘negotiate’ with Boko Haram. The cash was allegedly withdrawn from the ONSA account by a former presidential aide.
“The said aide alleged that the cash was routed through the President of a neighbouring country, but preliminary tracking showed that the money might have been diverted.
“Many people have been linked with the negotiation, but the government, through relevant anti-graft agencies, is trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the funds. We have started inviting those connected with the deal for interaction.
“Even the ex-President in January 2016 said in an interview with a news website, Quartz, in Geneva, Switzerland that his administration did not set up any negotiation team.
“I did not negotiate with Boko Haram. The government never set up a team,” Quartz quoted him as saying.
Boko Haram leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau, responding, in one of his video shows, to claims of negotiation with the federal government, once said: “We have not made ceasefire with anyone. We did not negotiate with anyone. It’s a lie. It’s a lie. We will not negotiate. What is our business with negotiation? Allah said we should not.”
”So, there could not have been any sum spent on negotiation with Boko Haram, if there was no deal with the sect. You can see that the ongoing investigation of $15billion arms deal in the ONSA has many dimensions,” the source said
“The main objective of the government is to recover the $40million.”
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