Are those 47 vehicles, military equipment dashed to Niger Rep coming back?
Though the recent meeting hosted by Niger Republic for the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the First Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities, have come and gone, Nigerians are asking if all the 47 new vehicles and military equipment given to the government of Niger have also gone like that?
Recall that the Federal Government had before the meeting, confirmed the unilateral donation 47 vehicles and military equipment to Niger Republic to help it successfully host the weekend meeting.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Niger Republic, Attahiru Dahiru, had disclosed to journalists in Niamey as AU leaders arrived for the summit that the Nigerian government technically support the hosting with logistics.
The items donated included two Armoured Personnel Carriers, five Toyota Coaster buses and 100 bullet-proof vests worth 2.8 million CFA.
Dahiru, who revealed that the donation was made on the request of the Government of Niger, added that 40 other vehicles of different brands were handed over to the West African country, noting that “Everything they requested has been provided for them and they are happy.”
Now some of the key questions for the Federal Government on the donations to Niger Republic include if the entire vehicles and military wares are for free or will be returned?
What value does Nigeria gain from such donations when the Nigerian military had been crying of lack of adequate equipment and allied logistics to fight insurgents?
Was the donations captured in the 2018 or 2019 national budgets?
Under which ministry did the donation process, memo and approval and supplies made?
Does the donation have anything to do with the 2019 presidential election in Nigeria?
Are there any returnable value for the donations from Niger Republic and why must it be only Nigeria that donated all the logistics for the meeting which the country had on its own agreed to host or was there any form of understanding between Nigerian government and the government of Niger Republic to agree to host the meeting at the time it opted to host it in the presence of the AU?
Observers say the Nigerian government has more answers to give Nigerians on why it made such donations at a time the economy is still ailing according the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
