Governor Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso of Kano State
has accused President Goodluck Jonathan-led
Federal Government of not being sincere over its
defence of the seized $9.3m and another $5.7m
by the South African government.
He said the seized money by the South African
government under the guise of procuring arms
and ammunition to fight insurgency, contravened
established rules and guidelines.
The governor said it was a clear violation of the
due process in the procurement.
Kwakwanso spoke in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday after
the public presentation of two laws-Ekiti
Magistrate Court Law 2014 and Administration
of Criminal Justice 2014-by his counterpart from
Lagos, Raji Fashola (SAN).
Fashola, who described laws and
constitutionality as the bedrock of any nation,
said the application of the Cremation and Public
Health Laws gave the state a breakthrough in its
fight against the Ebola Virus Disease that broke
out in the country recently.
Kwakwanso, who had earlier inaugurated the Ire
Burnt Brick Industry revamped by Governor
Kayode Fayemi, said Nigerians must rise up to
protect judiciary for the sustenance of the
country’s democracy.
The governor said, “As a former Minister of
Defence, I am very conversant with the way and
manner, and the due process that is required to
procure any arms, ammunition or equipment,
there are rules and guidelines. Arms and
ammunition are not rice and beans that you can
just go to the market and purchase.
“Many of us were concerned when the
information filtered in. In fact, we didn’t believe
it initially, but along the line, based on the
defence of what happened, we realized that it
was a bitter truth that such a thing happened:
that money of that magnitude in an aircraft flown
to another nation, I think so many things have
gone wrong. I think it is high time for the Federal
Government to sit up to its responsibilities to
ensure that things are being done correctly.
“Yes, we need arms and ammunition; yes, we
need security in this country, but even under that
circumstance, there are rules and guidelines that
must be respected.
“While we are trying to tackle insurgency, we
must follow the due process. Even in the
operation there are rules of engagement; they
are very important to protect the lives and
properties of innocent people.”
Kwakwanso wondered why it took the Federal
Government three weeks to accept that over 200
schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram in
Chibok.
He said so many things were wrong under the
administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“That is why we are confident that by 2015 the
APC will take over because all that we have seen
in insecurity, unemployment, education…There
are so many schools closed down in the North.
Our children cannot go to school because some
are being stolen,” he lamented.
