Count me out of arms deal - Bukola Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has dissociated himself from
the N60bn arms deal involving the immediate past National Security
Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Mr.
Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that contrary to report published in an online
medium, he has never had anything to do with purchase of security
equipment because in his entire political career he never served in any
committee or body which has any link with Defence or national security.
“As a member of the Seventh Senate, Dr. Saraki was not a member of any
of the committees which have oversight function on the Ministry of
Defence or the intelligence and national security apparatus. If he was
tagged the leader of the opposition to the Jonathan administration, how
then will he be privy to Arms purchases and have the influence to
blackmail any government agency or institution over the release of funds.
“The Senate President would like to alert members of the public to this
new plot by this particular online medium to tarnish his reputation as the
medium and its sponsors pursue the singular objective of removing him
from the office of the Senate President, an objective they have since failed
to achieve within and outside the National Assembly”
This time around, the online medium and its sponsors chose to drag the
Senate President to this reigning and current issue of arms purchase by
insinuating that he once blackmailed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to
give him and other Senators the sum of N250 million as a way of covering
up the arbitrary withdrawal by the NSA from the security fund approved by
the former President.
First, there is no logic in the claim as Dr. Saraki who was persecuted by
the last administration could not have had the influence and good standing
to walk up to the Central Bank to demand for any money having exposed
many atrocities of the past administration. Again, on what ground would
the Senate President blackmail anyone for 250 Million naira? It must be
emphasized here that Dr. Saraki will never engage in any sharp practice or
issue which will warrant him to blackmail any individual or government
institution.