GROUPS FLAYS PRESIDENCY OVER $1BN APPROVAL FOR ARMS PROCUREMENT

Mazi Dickson Iroegbu 

The approval of President Muhammadu Buhari of the sum of $1bn to the security chiefs for the purchase of additional arms and ammunition to combat insecurity, has continued to generate concerns from various groups in the country.



Mazi Dickson Iroegbu, a prolific writer, movie producer and Convener of Celebrities For Atiku Movement, CEFAM while responding to questions, said; "This is not a banana republic - Nigeria is not a jungle".

According Iroegbu, "the Muhammadu Buhari led government cannot unilaterally spend our commonwealth without appropriation".

Tasked on calls for nigerians to stand up and demand for explanations from the presidency, on previous purchases of arms by this administration considering the fact that, the Boko Haram insurgents are still having a field day, bombing and killing innocent citizens in the Northeast and also, the herdsmen menace, Iroegbu has this to say; "Truth of the matter is that this current government is a fraud".

"Therefore, the call should actually be for the impeachment of Buhari", he said.

Similarly, Comrade Abubakar Mahmoud Aliyu believes that "the inconsiderations to lives lost in this insurgency in the Northeast axis of Nigeria, has become a worrisome stain in our nation's history".

"Playing politics with the lives of nigerians is the height of wickedness by any elected government especially one which rose on the back of the people, to save them from further pains".

Akperio Marioghene however disagrees with the duo of Iroegbu and Aliyu as he says that, government has the responsibility to protect and defend the people at all times and, if the President believes, through his aides, that there is need to procure more arms and ammunitions for our army, then so be it.

Speaking on the earlier stance and claims of the APC led government of having defeated the Boko Haram insurgents in the past, Marioghene says that is not enough excuse not to acquire more arms for its army.

According to him, other nations the world over, that have similar issues have not relented in acquisition of arms and ammunitions for its arms.

Pressed for comments regarding large scale allegations of fraud against the APC administration and with the President turning a blind eye, Aliyu says there are no empirical evidence as to these allegations describing them as "desperate antics by the opposition to further rub in on the APC government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari".