$5.7m arms deal: Falana faults FG’s threat to sanction S’African firms

$5.7m arms deal: Falana faults FG’s threat to sanction S’African firms

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has faulted the reported Federal Government’s threat to sanction South Africa and its companies over South African government’s repeated seizure of Nigeria’s money amounting to about $15m allegedly meant to buy arms.
The sum $5.7m was seized by the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa in the deal which was busted by the South African National Conventional Arms Control.
In the earlier weeks, the NPA of the South African government had seized the cash sum of $9.3m taken to the country by two Nigerians and an Israeli in an aircraft linked to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
Falana said the threat to deal with the South African companies operating in Nigeria as retaliation for the seizure of the money had called the moral integrity of the Federal Government to question.
He said, “By threatening to deal with the South African government over the breach of the law by the private businessmen and corporate bodies involved in the suspicious transactions the office of the NSA has called to question the moral integrity of the Federal Government.
“By asking South Africa to reciprocate the gesture of allowing MTN and DSTV to operate in Nigeria is the Federal Government saying that both South African companies are allowed to breach the law of the land?
“Regrettably, the National Assembly treated this matter of urgent national importance so cavalierly and in the process left many questions unanswered.
“Otherwise how could both chambers have failed to examine the statement of the NPA that the official explanations for the suspicious transactions are riddled with contradictions. Instead of grandstanding over the criminal enterprise the Federal Government should apologise to Nigerians and call the NSA to order for dragging the name of Nigeria through the mud.”
But he added that Nigeria as a nation was not the one implicated in the scandal as the contract of supply of arms had been awarded to a private organisation which went ahead breach relevant laws while trying to execute the contracts.
He however queried the basis of transferring the responsibility of buying of arms from the Ministry of Defence to the office of the National Security Adviser, who reportedly authorised the planned purchase in South Africa.
Falana added, “As a sovereign entity the Federal Government can place orders for the purchase of arms either from another government or from independent arms dealers. But when the office of the NSA decided to award contracts to private corporate bodies for the supply of arms it could not have clothed them with immunity or license to breach local or foreign laws.
“ Instead of exposing Nigeria to further ridicule the Federal Government should stop accepting responsibility for the alleged criminal actions of the suspects indicted in the alleged laundering of the sum of $15m.”