#DASUKIGATE:BUHARI READY TO GIVE JONATHAN LISTENING HEARS

A top government official who spoke with the media on the condition of anonymity said that ex-president Jonathan had tried to reach out to the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mongunu but said he did not know if Jonathan was successful in establishing the contact.

“I know that the former President has been trying to reach the NSA. Whether he has succeeded, I do not know. You can ask the NSA himself,” he said.

A top government official who spoke with the media on the condition of anonymity said that ex-president Jonathan had tried to reach out to the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mongunu but said he did not know if Jonathan was successful in establishing the contact.

“I know that the former President has been trying to reach the NSA. Whether he has succeeded, I do not know. You can ask the NSA himself,” he said.

According to  the PUNCH, Adesina said that  President Buhari  would give former president Jonathan listening ears.

He said: “A former President should always have access to a sitting one. It would be uncouth and indecent to shut out a former occupant of such lofty office. If some people did it to their predecessors in the past, it is not this President who believes in decency and civility.

“Yes, President Buhari will always grant audience to former President Jonathan, if there is any request for such. A rebuff does not come into the picture at all.

According to Mallam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,  the directive from President Buhari was based on the recommendation of the audit committee set up to probe the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector between the period of 2007 to 2015.

Those who to be probed by the committee who started work at the end of August 2015, include: Air Chief Marshal AS Badeh (Rtd), Air Marshal MD Umar (Rtd), Air Marshal AN Amosu (Rtd), Maj-Gen. ER Chioba (Rtd), AVM IA Balogun (Rtd), AVM AG Tsakr (Rtd), AVM AG Idowu (Rtd), AVM AM Mamu, AVM OT Oguntoyinbo and AVM T Omenyi,  AVM JB Adigun, AVM RA Ojuawo, AVM JA Kayode-Beckley, Air Cdre SA Yushau (Rtd), Air Cdre AO Ogunjobi, Air Cdre GMD Gwani, Air Cdre SO Makinde, Air Cdre AY Lassa, Col N Ashinze, Lt Col. MS Dasuki (Rtd)

In its first interim report, the Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment established that the sum N643bn and $2.1bn interventions were received for procurements by DHQ and the services between 2007 and 2015.

The audit report was said to have detailed the huge fraud in the procurement of arms which sparked President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the role played by several retired and serving officers as well as civilian contractors.