A former political adviser to ex-president Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, has said the former leader should be probed for the looting of over $2 billion arms procurement fund.
Gulak a former aide to Jonathan blamed lack of political experience, arrogance and impunity for the large scale graft and misaaprpriation of public funds.
Gulak maintained that even though most of the alleged embezzlement were perpetrated by his former security chief and other prominent actors in the party, Jonathan cannot be absolved of blame.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja yesterday, Gulak said, “Jonathan was misled, cajoled, messed up and put in complete darkness by a cabal in his government as far as the political process was concerned then.”
According to him ” The revelation coming out (of the arms deal) was because there was no political experience. It was arrogance and impunity then. Jonathan did his best, but unfortunately, he cannot escape liability because the buck stops at his table. They misled him, they blackmailed him, they cajoled him and they put him in complete darkness as far as the political process was concerned then.”
“Because he was the president and chief executive officer of the country, every act of his agents and officials, he must be bound by it whether he was aware of what they were doing or not. He is vicariously liable. We have seen the approvals by Mr President (Jonathan) for the purchase of arms and ammunition. The approval was clear, but we got to know that the purpose for which that approval was thereafter made was not in accordance with the approval. Although he (Jonathan) may be held vicariously liable, he was oblivious of what the cabal was doing. They were not with him, they were not working for his re-election, they were only working for their pockets. The probe must be done. It is not about PDP or APC. It is not about partisan politics. It is about Nigeria. How can I just transfer $1.2 billion to somebody’s account in the name of prayers? Did Goodluck Jonathan know all this? I don’t believe so”.