Military Officers In Trouble As PMB Wields Big Stick
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier told Nigerians that he inherited an empty treasury from the past administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan, and vowed to go after those that have looted the nation’s finances.
Daily Sun; Buhari probes military, Vanguard; FG probes N3.8trn missing oil funds, The Punch; Okonjo-Iweala spent $2.1bn without approval- says FG, The Nation; Four-man panel to probe how NNPC blew N3.8trn, as well as The Guardian; FG begins probe of NNPC, makes the front pages of the national dailies for Tuesday, June 30, 2015.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who was a former General in the Nigerian army, he has declined to attach sentiment in his fight against corruption as he ordered the probe of the military institution. DAILY SUN reports that President Buhari, on Monday, June 29, ordered the military hierarchy to account for the number of weapons purchased to fight Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East. He also ordered the Military High Command to make available records of the total amount of money it received from the Federal Government to fight insurgency.
Daily Sun gathered from a top military source that the decision was taken after Mr. President met with the service chiefs comprising the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-General Kenneth Minimah, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase. The source said the President’s decision might not be unconnected with the grumbling in the military by some personnel, who felt that their bosses and their colleagues occupying strategic position had taken advantage of the counter-terrorism operations to enrich themselves.
The source, who agreed there was corruption in the military, further disclosed that most senior officers see the war against insurgency as an avenue to make money, hence, lobby to get posted to the North-East. He said unlike in the past when soldiers lobbied to go for international peace-keeping operations, because of the foreign currency they will make. He said soldiers now lobby for counter-terrorist war in the North-East because the profit is very huge.