On December 29, 2014
By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North
Abuja — The controversy over the acquisition of five war ships by a company linked to a former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo for Nigeria, has continued unabated, with a Northern politician, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, describing the action as a threat to the nation’s fragile security and peace.
Mohammed, a Second Republic lawmaker, told Vanguard that the Federal Government had some ulterior motives to protect by usurping the function that should be performed by the Nigerian Navy and transferring same to the former Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, leader.
The politician noted that the attempt by both the Federal Government to claim that the boats were bought by Tompolo’s firm for the use of the navy and NIMASA was an after-thought that did not add up and would haunt the administration for a long time to come.
Describing Jonathan as one who is keen on protecting the personal interest of his kinsmen at the expense of the nation, Mohammed wondered why the administration allowed a private individual from the President’s tribe to usurp the key function of the Nigerian Navy.
“The President should be kind enough, since he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, to explain to Nigerians where he drew the authority to transfer the functions of the Nigerian Navy to a private individual from his tribe.
“But if he fails to do so now, posterity would be very unkind to him because he has set a very bad precedent that no leader dead or alive in this country has ever contemplated.
“Let it be on record that Jonathan has used his position to compromise the laws of Nigeria to favour his kinsmen. How can an individual who is not even in the armed forces get such approval from the Presidency to acquire such lethal facilities?” he asked.
“He is colluding with the Presidency to undermine Nigeria’s security at a time when our soldiers are being sentenced to death for asking for enough arms and ammunition to fight insurgency.
“Certainly, there is an evil agenda behind the purchase and Nigerians should demand urgent answers,” Mohammed said.
But in the heat of the controversy generated by the development, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, has said that the five war ships acquired by Tompolo’s company, Global West Vessel Specialist Ltd, were purchased on behalf of the agency.
Akpobolokemi said last week in Lagos at a media briefing that the ships were acquired for the use of the Nigerian Navy and other relevant government agencies in the fight against piracy and other related crimes on the nation’s maritime domain.
He said: “It is the Navy that has fitted their guns on the vessels to aid their policing of the maritime domain. The Agency is made up of civilians who are professionals in various fields and who have no political affiliations or interests at all.
“As an arm of the government responsible for maritime safety, security and regulations, among others, we work in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy and other relevant security agencies to use their men and arms to patrol and provide safety of the country’s water ways.”
www.obaabs.blogspot.comsource :vanguard
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