₦airaland Forum

demmy: I see. Its ok for Achebe to pour unwarranted accusations on Awolowo, who tried all he could to prevent the war but if we respond to Achebe's nonsense we are the bad guys

Am I Ibo? Do I agree entirely with Achebe? No.

But I read with an open mind that is the difference. Just because he mentioned Awo is not a reason for you idi0ts to disrespect him.

coogar: oh shut up - have you read the book yourself?
awo had no such ambition - awolowo wasn't the one that refused to take the offer of a corridor to send relief aid to the starving biafrans. ojukwu was offered $600,000 by the british government which he also refused! ojukwu used the pictures of the kwashiorkor kids to build a propaganda so the rest of the world can sympathise with them but the plan backfired!

Awo had no ambition? You are a big m0r0n.

shymexx: He had a mission to capture power, yet he voluntarily resigned after the civil war.... Most of dolts are just too stupid to use the brain cells God gave you - all you do is parrot the nonsense spewed by your overrated and tribalistic 'heroes'.

So, a book written by an unrepentant Biafran propagandist should be the "bible" for the civil war, no??

Again, get a freaking life!!

Mugu, he resigned to strategies politically and it was all for power. Go and read and get some knowledge and stop acting like a scumbag.

demmy: Do you believe Awolowo deliberately tried to kill Igbos so he could become president?

That I don't know, I can't say what is in Awo's mind. Achebe had his view and that is his view. But for some of you ignorant idi0ts to jump up and poor insults on a man who has paid his dues is absolutely stupid.

gidiMonsta: Y'all should just stop this examining contents of the book BS, Achebe's memoir is deeply flawed, he deserves his spot on the Hall of shame list and I sincerely hope tops at the end of voting.

Another m0r0n. A trash like you puts him on a so-called "Hall of Shame".

Achebe can do without m0r0ns like you.

shymexx: Read what book?? The same book with a trashy review, no??

Get a life!!

You sound dumb honestly! If a dullard like you does not read it many more people will read it and with an open mind. So you are inconsequential.

Go and get a life.

Prof Corruption: So Awolowo did not go to Enugu to persuade Ojukwu against war? So Awolowo declared Biafra for Ojukwu knowing that war would ensue? So Awolowo asked Ojukwu not to surrender when all possibilities of victory were gone? So Awolowo asked Ojukwu to reject food corridor when Ojukwu knew he could not feed his people? It's a sheer waste of time engaging some of you.

That is the problem with most of you. You do not sound like someone who has read the book. You just hear Awo's name being mentioned and you spring up. Did Achebe ever state that Awo never made such visits?

Go and read the book and read it properly with an open mind before typing your trash here. Achebe may have gotten some things wrong but one thing you cannot deny is the fact that Awo had an ambition and he went about it playing the tribal card. It is not different from what we see in today's politics.

Prof Corruption: [b]True. I personally considered Achebe a hero until he published lies as a memoir. Awolowo was not entirely blameless or was a god of a kind but it was a blatant lie and hatred carried too far to not only blame Awolowo for Igbo genocide but for doing it to advance Yoruba interests. This same man,Awolowo, tried all his best to prevent the war. [/b]He was not even around when events that culminated in the war started. There is no war where your enemy would be saddled with the responsibility of feeding you. Such would not be called war. It was the responsibility of Ojukwu, not Awo, to put the welfare of his people above any considerations. That a corridor to ferry food and other similar items was provided at all is more than enough to vindicate Awo and the war cabinet of Gowon.


At topic,
What exactly do they expect the owner of Nairaland to do? To gag the opinions of others? There was clear rule for nominations and Achebe was nominated. There was clear rule for shortlisting the top three, and Achebe ended up being among the top list. How is that the problem of Seun or any moderator? This is nothing but democracy in action. The choice of majority may patently be wrong but they have right to make that choice. Voting is in progress, vote for other candidate if you don't want Achebe to get the crown.

You are saying trash! Awolowo had a mission to capture power and he did it playing the tribal game effectively. However, it was not any different from the tactics used by leaders in other regions. And it is still the same tactics used to fool gullible Nigerians today.

Chinua has written a book, what I expect you all to do is to critically examine the contents of the book. You are not expected to agree with him but to insult him over his views is most disrespectful.

thelastPope: Imagine this!

Fashola hands over Adelabu street, ogunlana drive and Akerele street!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Are they new roads? This is the height of propaganda. Keep posting and exposing yourself! Any Lagos resident who aint ACN butt lickers, reading this now will be laugjing at you. all you have been posting are existing roads. They are not Fashola's achievements. Ogunlana has always been a good road right from Masha bridge to lawanson. Adelabu was renovated by Tinubu. You are talking to a real surulere boy. You think you can come online and deceive people abi? Posting existing roads as Fashola's achievements is diabolical and you should be flogged for it!

You even posted a light rail project that might not even be ready in 2020 as an achievement! GEJ's own is 50% completed oh for your information! Lol!

Many Nigerians who have been hearing Fashola's name will be shocked right now that you had to post shopping malls as part of his achievements. They would have expected you to post ground breaking projects but obviously, there are none. Everything is just propaganda and more propaganda! It is just sooooo pathetic! I rest my case!

Keep exposing

Are you really daft? What is the point in building new when the existing ones need to be totally reconstructed given years of neglect? You think he is another Jona? That is strategy and that is why I say he is a man of vision, he knows where he is moving to. Lagos has a free health service, it has a free education programme up to secondary school and it gives free vocational education. What the hell has Jona to offer us apart from cassava bread and theft of N5 trillion.


Tell Jona to complete that Benin-Ore road since Madueke cried in 2007. It is 5 years now, e never reach them to complete. Dem one die inside helicopter again?

Ikengawo: how is joining the military a vision?
If it leave your people poor and embattled by terrorism, i would rather be a visionless educated man or businessman

Absolute trash. The military offers people a way out of poverty. By joining the military, you have an opportunity to earn and at the same time receive standard education.

For example, how many people can afford to pay for a flight school? But with the military, they get it for free in addition to being trained in management as an officer.

Sad thing is most of them have not even read the book.

Achebe is a legend, you may disagree with his opinions but please do not disrespect him for his perspective on the war.

The problem with most of you is that you don't read. This is not the first time Achebe has had a view on Awo. He had a similar view in his book, "The trouble with Nigeria", written as far back as the early 1980s.

So you all should go and read so you can learn to respect true heroes. That book, "There was a country", is very rich and I recommend it to anyone who wants a broader perspective on issues in Nigeria.

[s]

Sincere 9gerian: It is obvious that the president doesn't even know much about the N16billion Sambo's residence contract. For this same issue, the 'retardinhos' have attacked, abused and cursed GEJ. Do we really expect one man to know everything and be involved in everything? As far as I'm concerned, there are institutions and those institutions should do their work and where they fail, all attacks should be directed at them, not an 'omnipresent' president. In this case, where the contract sum appears too high, the senate committee should do their work(which they'r already doing), the budget office, ministry of office and other parties concerned in the project should also do their work. Where foul play is suspected, the law should take its course.
But I completely understand the retardinhos. It is always convenient for them to blame everything on an 'omnipresent' president so as to score cheap political points[/s]

Please change your name to 'Fraudulent Nigerian'. You are a disgrace to your family.

Why did Labaran Maku use a valedictory session of the deceased to celebrate the fact that he escaped the crash?

Because he is a BIG FOOOOL

JONA FIRE MAKU NOW!!!

Rewind

ballabriggs: Here are the comments of some posters in the punch on Maku.

oye December 20, 2012 at 8:32 am
Maku has shown his level of intelligence if he can publicly expressed self centered and unsympathetic statement without making regards to victims of ill fated chopper and their love ones. May God fortify the deceased love ones

http://www.punchng.com/news/we-almost-travelled-in-crashed-copter/#comment-968805

Sholajohnolor December 20, 2012 at 9:16 am
This Maku is a goat. Yes you escaped, praise God personally not during the valedictory session for these men. It was their moment not yours.
http://www.punchng.com/news/we-almost-travelled-in-crashed-copter/#comment-968998

You see, Maku is a confirmed m0r0n, everyone knows this.

JONA FIRE MAKU NOW!!!

Here are the comments of some posters in the punch on Maku.

oye December 20, 2012 at 8:32 am
Maku has shown his level of intelligence if he can publicly expressed self centered and unsympathetic statement without making regards to victims of ill fated chopper and their love ones. May God fortify the deceased love ones

http://www.punchng.com/news/we-almost-travelled-in-crashed-copter/#comment-968805

Sholajohnolor December 20, 2012 at 9:16 am
This Maku is a goat. Yes you escaped, praise God personally not during the valedictory session for these men. It was their moment not yours.
http://www.punchng.com/news/we-almost-travelled-in-crashed-copter/#comment-968998

You see, Maku is a confirmed m0r0n, everyone knows this.

JONA FIRE MAKU NOW!!!

Here are the comments of some posters in the punch on Maku.

oye December 20, 2012 at 8:32 am
Maku has shown his level of intelligence if he can publicly expressed self centered and unsympathetic statement without making regards to victims of ill fated chopper and their love ones. May God fortify the deceased love ones

http://www.punchng.com/news/we-almost-travelled-in-crashed-copter/#comment-968805

Sholajohnolor December 20, 2012 at 9:16 am
This Maku is a goat. Yes you escaped, praise God personally not during the valedictory session for these men. It was their moment not yours.

http://www.punchng.com/news/we-almost-travelled-in-crashed-copter/#comment-968998

You see, Maku is a confirmed m0r0n.

JONA FIRE MAKU NOW!!!

Reno Omokri have you no shame. Must you continue to live the life of a scum.

That Lagos does not build its schools or does not provide free health service is the biggest trash I have read. In Fashola's first term there was a project to renovate and build 500 classroom blocks in Lagos, that I know for sure. And there where also hospital projects all over the state. LASUTH Emergency ward and the the Island Maternity upgrade is one of the few.

Okay, the calculation is Fashola may contest for Presidency in 2015, so take every step to rubbish the man. Epic Fail I say!! He has 1 million brains more than the dumbass called Jona and if he decides to move, I will mobilise and support him. He is a man of vision, he knows what direction he wants to lead to, unlike Jona who seems a blind man crossing Ikorodu road unaided.


The biggest problem Lagos has is that it has too many to cater for relative to its resources. Why? Because there is virtually nothing going on in every other part of the country. Tell Jona to repair that East West road wey dey our backyard make development spread and reduce the pressure on Lagos. That should be Jona's focus instead of spending his whole day drinking 'sapele water' and leading Azazi to kaput in a 'kabu kabu' helicopter.

Go and get a life you scum.

Because that which they sowed has consumed them. Now read this report to understand what I mean.

It is a clear case of a corrupt system. You can see from the source there that controls have been freely breached within the Nigerian Navy. You cannot even say they know for certain how many hours that helicopter has been flown since its last maintenance. Leaders have the ultimate responsibility to ensure these controls are working. You cascade a culture and ensure a taken-for-grantedness of certain routines within the organisation. But they ignore it, everyone seems to be after stealing money. So why should I pity those who are consumed by what they sow.

Navy Helicopter Tragedy: Nigerian Navy Air Squadron, A Disaster Says Naval Source-PM News, Lagos

The Nigerian Navy whose helicopter crashed in Bayelsa State on Saturday, 15 December, 2012, killing the Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Yakowa, former National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoye Azazi and crew members, like many other public institutions, is in a rotten state.

A top Naval source who spoke on the tragedy that befell the nation described the Nigerian Navy Air Squadron which operated the crashed Agusta 109 helicopters from Ojo, Lagos, a disaster. To buttress his assertion, he disclosed that the squadron has lost three helicopters, seven pilots, crew members and six passengers in six years. He recalled that on 20 April, 2006 a Nigerian Navy helicopter crashed near Owerri airport because the pilots were coerced to fly at night to deliver election materials. The helicopter crashed leaving no one onboard alive.

“This means the Nigerian Navy tasked the pilots to perform duties which were not commensurate to the training they were given. Has the Nigerian Navy learnt from this incident? Has the Navy taken any steps to avoid reoccurrence? No official report has been released about this crash. A board of inquiry was set up and investigations were conducted by a team of Navy officers who did not have any know-how, let alone the expertise to conduct proper air crash investigations. As stated earlier, the reports of the investigation never saw the light of the day. May be they are safely lying somewhere in a vault in naval Headquarters, Garki, Abuja. For us, this attitude indicates that the Nigerian Navy is not ready to learn from this incident. Though, shortly after the crash, the Navy has made efforts at training some pilots at Night Flying.”

Two years later, specifically on 26 January, 2010, the officer reminded P.M.NEWS, that another fatal crash occurred near Port-Harcourt, killing all onboard. “As usual, a BOI was set up and no official report has been released from Garki. This shows the Navy is adamant and impervious to learning,” he said.

Following the tragedies recorded by the squadron, the Naval officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to order the Navy to stop air operations now because the Navy has not developed the proper professional attitude required to conduct air operations.

He called for a proper investigation, “not a Board of inquiry by a bunch of clueless Navy officers but a proper air crash investigation by professionals,” to look into the crash that occurred on Saturday.

“Maybe the Presidency, the Senate President, the CDS and the Chief of Naval Staff, may be interested to know that the Navy Air Squadron lacks a proper logistics line; that there are no enough spare parts for helicopters, that spare parts take ages to reach the country even after they have been paid for; that the Navy Air Squadron lacks an efficient technical/logistics support system; that the Nigerian Navy Air Squadron has mastered the practice of removing a part from one aircraft to another, a practice commonly known as cannibalisation. That sometimes, even fuel which is always budgeted for is an impediment to air operations due to late arrival; that technicians/engineers are not properly empowered; they have not been properly exposed to the standards required of an air technician by frequent re-trainings and that their certificates do not meet ICAO standards. (In fact, their certificates should surpass ICAO standards because they are military),” the officer said.

According to him, the Nigerian Navy helicopters are sometimes deployed outside their home base to Warri and Port-Harcourt for long periods of time. During this period, the aircraft is totally exposed to weather elements of rain and too much sunshine. This is so because the base in Warri does not have a hanger. The Air Squadron at Ojo is popularly known within the Naval circle as ‘the Evil Forest’. Nobody wants to be posted there. Junior officers go to the extent of offering bribes just to cancel their postings to “the Evil Forest”, because of the tyrannical, despotic, nature of senior officers.

The atmosphere in the Nigerian Navy Air Squadron is fouled by the despotic and arrogant attitude of the seniors who have created a division in the Squadron, where the juniors see their seniors as their enemies. The trust and rapport between them is broken. This greatly hampers safe operations and inhibits a conducive working environment that is an important factor for aviation safety. The juniors hence find it difficult to engage the seniors in a fine conversation during flight or even offer any suggestion. No aviation organization can operate in this kind of atmosphere, where victimization, intimidation are the order of the day.

He observed that “the pilots/engineers (juniors) just do their work for the sake of doing it. This is dangerous. In fact, most aviators (pilots/engineers) won’t mind leaving the Air Squadron or even leave the Navy entirely. It may equally be of interest to know that “the Evil Forest” (Navy Air Squadron) officers have to fight or bootlick to go on leave and sometimes they are not allowed to go on full leave. This is contrary to the best aviation practices. Aviators need rest in order for them to work efficiently.

Furthermore, the officer revealed, the aviators are sometimes given orders to fly under difficult circumstances. Two pilots were grounded for refusing to fly during bad weather. An inquiry was set up and investigation revealed that the pilots were right for refusing to fly. But, typical of the Navy, the pilots were grounded and their flying wings confiscated. It took the noble administration of the CDS (then as CNS) to re-incorporate them back to the Air Squadron. The pilots are made to fly even when they are tired.

They are made to go for maritime patrols into sea, when they are not trained for that. The Nigerian Navy pilots have performed deck landings on the Nigerian Navy ships NNS ARADU and NNS THUNDER several times. The question to ask is: Are any of these pilots certified for deck landings?

Finally, the officer noted, that “in the Navy Squadron, the pilots are only given basic training. They do not attend redundancy training, night flying, deck landings, search and rescue and other training packages which will make them well rounded pilots. No pilot in the navy can safely conduct a proper emergency landing (due to lack of proper continuous training). The air crew, which includes the Marshallers, ATC and hoist operators, lack adequate and certified training. Some of them receive local training at the squadron, which falls far below the required aviation standards.”

Azazi was a gun runner. He sowed violence by stealing arms from his command to fund criminality and violence in the Niger Delta. Did he pity those who lost their lives in that crisis?

Chai how I wish Maku who weeks back was telling me about progress in Nigeria's aviation had boarded that flight.

He should not die but come out of the accident with only one leg. Then with his one leg he will come back and tell me how much progress was truly made without safety.

ANIMALS!!!

What a useless job, where you are not allowed to complain even when everything seems wrong.

Ahoy my gentle officer, Rest In Peace!!!

Na waoh this life! Uwa wu pawpaw mehn!!!

If motor jam you them go use motor bury you. If you die for helicopter crash them go still use helicopter carry your body.

If only dead body fit talk, e go halla as dem wan put am inside helicopter again.

"DON'T TRY IT, YOU DEY CRAZE!!!"

Moral of the story, live your life positively whilst still alive". Once you are gone you are no more, you nor get mouth again.

FIRE MAKU NOW!!!

bibina: so because Yakowa's convoy accidentally killed a little girl he deserved to die? I pity you

Any apology after the girls death? And you expect me to pity such a man. You see what a m0r0n you are?

Pity your stupidity. If these men had the chance to kill you to secure their position they will without thinking twicw, so why should I have any feelings that they keep dying miserably.

dejustice: Guy! Full Proof

You are a product of this decayed society

You should be repatriated to Aluu.

You have so much passion for blood and death of a fellw Nigerian

Unfortunately for you, I do not live in that your society of hypocrisy. I live in a society where people tell themselves the truth and do not celebrate gangsters like Azazi. You can burn with Azazi in the stolen helicopter, "I don't give a damn".

If you can celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden, why do you expect me not to celebrate the death of a criminal like Azazi who spent his time in office fueling violence? Go and get a life you maggot.

eastOFwest: Clap for yourself!

What a muppet! Who cares what you think, go get a life.

All these resignation na scope, it's called "table pounding" in negotiation. I think the kidnappers wanted money, had nothing to do with her position.

When I dey UNI those days for naija, if cult boys catch you wan obtain you, them go say "YOU DEY FOLLOW ME DRAG MY BABE!" or "PERSON TELL ME SAY YOU F**K UP AND WE MUST TREAT YOUR F**K UP TODAY!". Your heart go done cut if you no strong. You go carry all your property give them one time.

I don't think it had anything to do with her position, na negotiation strategy.

Who says Nigerians are not intelligent. These guys have not been to any school to learn this but you can see how they use it effectively in their negotiation.

dejustice: Hope you know Azazi is soneones father and son, just like you.

I think your case is beyond redemption.

May God give me the grace to raise my kids well.

You obviously lack proper moral standards

Err see mumu. Osama Bin Laden and Shekau are also someones father. Is Azazi any different from them?

Yeye dey smell.

jodeci: is bribery the only form of corruption know to you?

Whether it is bribery or corruption, "I don't give a damn"! For a man like Azazi, death is the only thing I will gladly wish him, nothing else.

You can go with them, I care less.

dejustice: I cry for Nigeria.
Imagine you as a possible leader of tomorrow, imagine what you just said about a life you cannot create.
Obviously, this is the reason our nation is backward.
Jeez! How can you say this to the dead
Can't you feel something is wrong somewhere
Where is our morals?

You just made me shed tears

Pity yourself that you live in bondage and hopelessness created by such leaders. Don't give me that your clap-trap.

jodeci: If you have by any means indulged even in the minutest of corruption in any dealings u have been involved in (school,workplace,business,relationships),then you are no better and deserve the same death and be fed to the dogs.

You can go an die with them if you do give bribe, I care less. I don't give and I don't take bribe.

And so what? Does Azazi deserve to live?

My heart goes to the dead officers and not people like Azazi and Yakowa who should be fed to vultures.

To the idi0ts below replying my post. Where were you all when Azazi was stealing arms from his amoury to push violence? Should I have pity for such a man? Where were you all when Yakowa's convoy killed an innocent girl on the streets? You must be the biggest f00l if you expect me to have pity for such men.

As hypocrites, you all will say, "don't speak bad about the dead". But you can speak bad about an arm robber shot by the police? This don't speak bad does it exclude armed robbers?

As far as I am concerned these men are armed robbers and they will continue to be in pain even in death. You can follow them to their graves if you don't like my comment.

Saharareporters has obtained a secret report by the Nigerian Army implicating current National Security Adviser, Gen Andrew Azazi (rtd), former Governors James Ibori and DSP Alamieyeseigha, and former Director-General of the State Security Service, Lt. Col Kayode Are (rtd) in the massive diversion and sale of Nigerian army weaponry to Niger Delta militants.

SaharaReporters obtained the intelligence report one week after Sonny Bowie Okah denounced members of his family as “killers” and vowed to destroy them, and a few days after the State Security Services intercepted 13 container loads of arms being imported into Nigeria through the Lagos port.

Sonny Bowei Okah, a brother to Henry Okah, the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta currently facing terrorism charges in South Africa, is portrayed in the report as a central character in the deals. Also mentioned in the document are Major Gen R.O. Adekhegba, a former Director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, Henry Okah himself, Major S.A. Akubo, a serving army officer, and ten soldiers who worked with the Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps.

The 35-page report, which is dated November 2007, is the product of an intensive investigation by the headquarters of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps following a tip-off by a soldier and a red flag by the SSS that army weapons were flowing from an ordinance depots in Kaduna and Jaji to militants.

Azazi, who was chief of army staff at the time, Adekhegba, former army intelligence chief, and Are, the then SSS director, reportedly covered up the matter. Ibori and Alamieyeseigha were named as having financed the arms deals.

The report, suppressed for long by the military hierarchy and the Federal Government, details in shocking detail how Sunny Okah funneled over N100 million to Major Akubo and the soldiers in exchange for over 7,000 cache of assorted arms and ammunition.

The report reveals that, within a seven-year period, Sonny Okah colluded with Major Akubo to move the weaponry. “They would surreptitiously drive Isuzu pick-up vans and sewage disposal trucks into ordinance depots in Jaji and Kaduna and then ferry out high-caliber and light weapons, even ammunitions,” said a source within the intelligence community who also had access to the report.

The report describes Sunny Okah as the major middleman between the soldiers and the militants, including his brother Henry.

“The amount of weapons stolen are enough to hold not just Port Harcourt hostage but the whole of Nigeria,” the report notes. “Should criminals decide to spread out to major cities of Nigeria with just a few of these weapons and cause chaos simultaneously, it is doubtful if we will not have a national state of emergency situation in our hands.”

The weapons include rocket launchers, UMGs, GPMGs, G3 and Mark IV rifles, Barretta rifles, AK 47 and bagfuls of ammunitions.

The investigation was triggered when a certain Private Zamanu Adamu who, while on guard at the ordinance depot in Jaji, Kaduna, in September 2007, reported that the seal on the depot had been broken and that some items had been removed.

In its investigation, the army intelligence corps interrogated Sunny Okah, Major Akubo and the soldiers who confessed to the crime. The investigators unearthed the fact that there was an earlier arms sale at 1 Ordinance Base in Kaduna. Major Akubo is named as the prime suspect in that deal.

Our investigation revealed that, rather than get to the bottom of the case and bring perpetrators to book, both the SSS and the Directorate of Military Intelligence engaged in official cover-ups. Azazi, Are and Adekhegba spearheaded the campaign to bury the report.

“It’s true that the SSS launched an investigation quite all right, and even got the army authorities to release the suspects – Major Akubo and the soldiers – to it for interrogation,” said an army source. He added that “the investigation was soon truncated and the suspects, including Sunny Okah, were released even after they confessed to the crime.”

Our sources disclosed that then Major Akubo was taken in by the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), but was interrogated by a one-man panel appointed by Adekhegba. He was curiously released to return to his unit based on instructions from Azazi, even when his involvement in the scandalous deals had been firmly established.

At the time the arms thefts began, Azazi was General Officer Commanding the 1st Division in Kaduna. Investigators suggested that he handled the case shabbily in order to cover up his “command failure”.

“Is there a likelihood that this case was shabbily handled in order that Gen Azazi’s failures may remain undiscovered?” the report asked. “Did Gen Azazi use course mate influence on the then DG of DSS Lt Col LKK Are (rtd) to ensure that the case remain suppressed? Otherwise, why did it take until now when Are is no longer in office for the DSS to reopen the case and be willing to cooperate fully.” The report added, “Gen Azazi obviously has more questions to answer regarding his roles in this case.”

The report fingered Ibori and Alamieyeseigha as financiers of the arms acquisition. Both men, who were state governors at the time, allegedly provided the funds with which Sunny Okah went on his arms shopping spree.

“These two politicians are mentioned as financiers of the arms acquisition project,” the report said. “Certainly, they would not have provided money without knowing the source of the weapons. Simply put, a breach of security of this magnitude was deliberately masterminded by state governors.”

Major Akubo is reported to have confessed to investigators that Sunny Okah approached him in 2004 stating that Ibori and Alamieyeseigha had given him a job to source for arms on their behalf. Okah asked for Akubo’s help to deliver on the job.

Ibori recently appealed the ruling by a court in Dubai that he should be extradited to the UK to face charges for money laundering. Meanwhile Alamieyeseigha, a convict who served a short jail term for corrupt enrichment, is championing the President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential election bid.

The report recommended that Azazi and Adekhegba be sanctioned and that the indicted governors should be further investigated.

The recommendations were not implemented. In fact, shortly before the report was written, Azazi forwarded the name of the former DMI chief for a national award while Sunny Okah was set free. Sunny Okah has since been recruited by the Jonathan administration and is being used to press the case against his brothers, Charles and Henry, over the October 1 Abuja bomb blast.

A few weeks ago, Jonathan appointed Azazi as his new national security adviser. Despite his indictment in the report, Azazi enjoyed one of the fastest career elevations among Nigerian military officers. Between mid-2006 and mid-2007, he rose from Major General to Lieutenant General to General.

However, on August 20, 2008, months after the report was written, Umaru Yar’Adua fired Azazi as Chief of Defense Staff and retired him from the Army. Two sources have told Saharareporters that the arms deal report of 2007 influenced Yar’Adua’s decision to fire Azazi from his post. One of those sources revealed that then Vice President Jonathan was aware of the reason for Azazi’s firing. “By asking General Azazi to come out of retirement and become his NSA, is President Jonathan out to register his disagreement with the judgment of the late president?” asked the source.

However, Major Akubo and the soldiers have since been court-martialed, dismissed from the army and are serving jail terms.

The investigative report wondered how widespread the theft and sale of military arms thefts were, not just in the army but in the navy, the air force, the police, and other armed agencies. It also raised questions about the role of politicians as financiers of the deals, and wondered about how the arms shopping affected national security.

After an overview of the many issues raised by the arms deals and the highly placed individuals involved in them, the investigative report formulated a conspiracy theory. It suggested that there was a link between the aborted Orkar coup in 1989, the 2001 Ikeja Cantonment arms depot explosions, the arms theft at 1BODK, and the militancy in the Niger Delta.

“It is believed that there is an orchestrated plan by the Niger Deltans to secede from Nigeria which is being played out over the years with every opportunity they have,” the report concluded.

http://www.saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/uploads/Azazi.pdf