Featured, Security
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| By Maureen Chigbo |
NIGERIA and South Africa appears to be making effort to resolve their strained relations in recent times. The bickering between both countries started with the shoddy handling of rescue operations at the site of collapse of building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, which killed about 84 South African nationals and climaxed with the seizure of funds Nigeria ferried to South Africa to buy arms in the black market. An embarrassed Nigeria government through the office of the National Security Adviser had threatened to retaliate, signaling that thriving South African businesses in the country may suffer as a result of the seizure.
But there was hope last week when South Africa promised to return the seized $15 million arms deal money. Myakayaka Manzini, South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, who featured in a programme on African International Television, AIT, “Matters Arising”, on Wednesday, October 15, said the process of refunding the money was already on, adding: “Both countries have decided on a political solution to the issue. Nigeria is a big ally and a brother.”
Manzini said South Africa would do everything to maintain cordial relations with Nigeria and would not do anything to hurt her national interests, adding that her country had been selling arms to Nigeria and was prepared to sell arms to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram. He did not say precisely when the money would be returned.
The the cash for arms deal drama started on September 5, when the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa seized $9.3 million cash flown into the country from Nigeria in a private jet belong to Ayo Oritsejafor, a pastor and president of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN. The money which was meant for arms purchase was spirited into South Africa by two Nigerian officials and an Isreali national. Shortly after the first seizure, the nation was woken up again that South Africa impounded another $5.7 million belonging to Nigeria. The government of South Africa said that the two transactions were illegal and the relevant authorities in the country had obtained a court order to seize the monies involved in the two unrelated incidents and initiated criminal investigations into the two transactions.
But the office of the National Security Adviser to the President Goodluck Jonathan headed by Sambo Dasuki said last week, that the two transactions were legal, particularly the latest one involving $5.7 million. Available documents showed that the consignments for $5.7 million were signed by the NSA who issued the end-user certificate for the transaction before it was aborted. The end-user certificate implies that the transaction was legal contrary to the claims off South Africa. The NSA entered into the $5.7 million arms deal with Cerberus Risk Solutions, an arms broker in Cape Town, South Africa, and Societe D’Equipment Internationaux, a Nigerian arms dealer firm based in Abuja. The deal crumbled because the marketing and contract permits of the company, which was registered as a broker with the National Conventional Arms Control Committee, NCACC, South Africa, expired in May. The South African authorities impounded the money while Cerberus was allegedly returning the money to Societe D’Equipment Internationaux, through Standard Bank.
— Oct. 27, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
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