Former National Security Adviser, NSA, to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Sambo Dasuki, a retired Colonel, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government of a desperate plot to rubbish him and former government officials, including top military officers who risked their lives for the service of the country.

Dasuki was responding to Tuesday’s allegations by the presidency that the former NSA awarded bogus contracts and made fraudulent payments while in office.

The accusations of fraud emanated from the interim report of a panel set up by the government to look into past security sector finances to see how money set aside for procurement of weapons was spent.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Dasuki said the government deliberately fed the public with information to curry sympathy.

“For undiscerning Nigerians, they may tend to assume that the allegations were true and pronounce the former National Security Adviser guilty as charged,” he said.

“To set the records straight, Nigerians should appreciate that the AVM Jon Ode-led panel did not invite the ex-NSA under any guise before arriving at its ambiguous findings. At least, fairness demands that the panel ought to hear from Dasuki instead of its recourse to hasty conclusions. If the panel had been more patient and painstaking, it would have been availed of all relevant documents on some of the jaundiced findings.”

Dasuki tried to extricate himself from any financial mismanagement or contract manipulations that took place by explaining that contracts or payment were approved by President Jonathan. He added that every organ of the armed forces – army, air force and navy – separately requested what they needed, which was granted.

“All contracts and accruing payments were with the approval of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces. Once the ex-President approved, the former NSA paid. So, there was due process for every purchase in line with regulations guiding arms procurement for the Armed Forces.

“And Nigerians should note that all the services generated the types of equipment needed, sourced for suppliers most times and after consideration by the Office of the NSA, the President will approve application for payment. For sensitive sectors (military/security), there was no room for awarding fictitious contracts. The conclusions of the panel were presumptive, baseless and lacked diligence,” the former security chief said.

While denying that fictitious contracts were awarded under him, Dasuki, however, said it was not his job to inspect and ensure that equipment requested for had been purchased, even though the different units of the armed forces acknowledged receipts of such weapons.

He went on to give instances of the procured weapons.

“While awaiting judicial process on these allegations, it is proper to make some references to show that the presidency was just desperate to hang some former public and military officers who served this nation at the risk of their lives.

“It is laughable for the panel to assume that 4 Alpha jets and 12 helicopters were undelivered. In a memo to the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA), referenced NAF/905/D/CAS of November 28, 2014, the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Adesola Amosu acknowledged the receipt of the 4x Alpha jets attack aircraft and the helicopters,” he explained.

“On 10/21/14, the Chief of Air Staff also confirmed the receipt of F-7 N1 aircraft combination of 250kg bombs and accessories at $2,894,000 with the cost of freight at $1,200,000. The same Air Force confirmed getting 2xTri Shield 36DG Tactical radars

“The Nigerian Army wrote the ONSA to acknowledge the delivery of 14 armoured tanks. In a December 13, 2014 memo, the Brigade of Guards thanked ONSA for releasing N30m for RCA, Operation allowance for Troops on Op Urban Sweep II for third and fourth quarters of 2014. This is apart from the installation of CCT Cameras at the Brigade Headquarters, 2 backscatter bomb detection vans and other equipment.”

With a case in court against him for illegal gun possession and money laundering, the last certainly has not been heard about the matter, with Dasuki threatening that he will reveal a lot when his trial begins, implying that some members of the present administration would be implicated.

“I have a lot to tell Nigerians but in the interim, they should not believe some of the allegations as the gospel truths. The good thing is that some of the key actors in the present administration were parts of the past process being viciously challenged.

“In order not to endanger the nation’s security, there are many salient issues and contracts which I cannot put in public domain. I am ready for trial on all these allegations in order to prove to Nigerians that I did nothing untoward in office. We will certainly meet in court,” he said, adding that he submitted a comprehensive inventory of equipment purchased, those delivered and the ones yet to be delivered.