By Sanusi Muhammad
Disturbed by the past antecedents of former Chief of Air staff, now Nigeria’s ambassador to Chad, and one of those aspiring for the 2023 gubernatorial slot on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) platform in Bauchi State Air Marshal Sadeeq Baba Abubakar (Rtd), a retired Group Captain of the Nigerian Air force who served as Deputy Defence Attache of Nigeria in the Gulf Region, Ahmad Musa, has described Air Marshal Sadeeq Baba Abubakar as a person with character deficit lacking morals to hold any public office.
Loading ...In a letter of petition submitted to the office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2021 by Solicitors to the embattled Group Captain Ahmad Musa, A.Albert Achegbulu & Co and made available to this medium prior to the screening of the sacked Chief of Air staff as a nominee for ambassadorial position, and now before Abuja Federal High Court 6. It was stated that:
“Following the support of some experts provided to Aerotec Enterprise Russia, the Nigerian Air force acquired two (2) Mi-171E helicopters, all of which were duly inducted, with the first one commissioned by Mr. President on February 6, 2020 in Abuja while the second one was virtually inducted on December 24, 2020 in Kaduna
“ However, the procurement process leading to the acquisition of the helicopters by the Nigerian Air force under Air Marshal Sadeeq Baba Abubakar, the cast of the platforms as well as the mode and manner of payment made to Aerotec and its subsidiaries by the Federal Government was not only in violation of extant procurement process and international practice of military procurement but smacks of money laundering as Nigeria was shortchanged in the process with active collaboration and connivance of top officers of the Nigerian Air force Logistics Branch and that of the Defence Section of the Embassy of Nigeria in Moscow, Russia acting under the influence of the former Chief of Air staff and his cohorts
“The purported pre-inspection of the factory facility and platforms in Serbia was not done as no facility ever existed in Serbia; rather the said factory was a private house while the Federal Government of Nigeria was reduced to entering a contract with a shell company operating from a residential apartment in Serbia
“Also payment which was meant to be made in United States dollars was now denominated in Euros with attendant price hiking which was paid to a shell company that was incorporated in 2018 (apparently for a purpose like this as the company did not possess three (3) years financial and audited account in compliance with extant Public Procurement Law or track record for a contract of such nature) which meant Nigeria not only paid away higher than what it would have paid if it was a State-to-State procurement but left hanging on the leaves rather than holding the tree-trunk
“The entire transaction was exorbitant and exploitative of Nigeria, a fact the officials of Eurotec are also aware, and that the Defence Attache’ Moscow (Air Vice Marshall Olatukunbo A. Adesanya) in what appeared to be collusion with Aerotec Enterprise Russia hacked some private chat of Group Captain Musa Ahmed, edited it and shared to the former Chief of Air staff, Air Marshall Sadeeq Baba Abubakar (Rtd) and to the erstwhile Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshall Muhammad Sani Usman (Rtd)
“On the basis of the alleged social media chat, Group Captain Ahmed Musa was summoned from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria for a ‘meeting’ that in the course of the said meeting, the sacked Chief of Air Staff confronted the Group Captain with an accusation of attempting to extort Aerotec Enterprise DOO Serbia based on the concocted and misleading WhatsApp chat, which he claimed was shared to him by AVM Olatokunbo A. Adesanya, a close ally of AVM M.A Yakubu Chief of Logistics at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters
“Group Captain Ahmed Musa was amazed that he could be summoned by the whole Chief of Air Staff on a social media chat and thereafter suspected a cover-up by the Russians in cohort with some top officials of the Nigerian Air Force with the sole aim of ostensibly short-changing Nigeria.
“Thereafter, the sacked Chief of Defence Intelligence injudiciously, using uncensored and unguarded remarks ordered the recall of Group Captain Ahmed Musa through the Defence Attache’, Major General M.S Ahmed from his duty post who conveyed the recall message orally which is a not known in official procedure
“On August 13, 2020, for resisting the unknown procedure of recall, Group Captain Ahmed Musa was served with a recall letter by the Defence Attache’ as a way to cover up the gross abuse of power and office by the now sacked Chief of Defence Intelligence
“When Group Captain Ahmed Musa complained of his ordeal to the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Chief of Air Staff and copied the President as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and retired Military General. The Defence Attache’ with the active support of the now sacked Chief of Defence intelligence attempted to initiate a disciplinary procedure against Ahmed Musa claiming he escalated his ordeal outside official channels of communication.
“Given the persistence and desperate acts of the Defence Attache’, Major General M.S Ahmed, denial of fair hearing and abuse of office by the now sacked Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar and erstwhile Chief of Defence Intelligence AVM Muhammed Sani Usman, Group Captain Ahmed Musa was forced to put in his resignation from service because the dignity of his person as well as his family was being compromised as the Defence Attache’ went as far as having informal contacts with Musa’s wife with a view to create chaos in his matrimonial home
“Group Captain Ahmed Musa believes that Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar and AVM Muhammed Sani Usman had abused their respective offices while in service for personal gains and also used their privileged positions to victimize several other personnel for their sole interest arising from a shady procurement of military platforms contract and other wide scale abuses. He also believes that the sacked duo had substantial interest to protect in the transaction with the off-shore company Aerotec Entreprise DOO Serbia hence the brazen manner they went about it without regard for and at the expense of Nigeria and her interest
“The stated facts raise a lot of questions bordering on integrity, courage and loyalty to the country of those two sacked service chiefs. It is believed that the allegations against them ought to be thoroughly investigated to strengthen the records against future occurrences. Government should investigate the circumstances and processes associated with the procurement of the two (2) Mi-171E helicopters as it would become clear the extent to which Nigeria and its people were shortchanged under the watch of sacked Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar and AVM Muhammed Sani Usman
“That the duo, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar and AVM Muhammed Sani Usman have character deficit and do not represent responsible persons worthy to hold any public office in Nigeria. To prove the points, the helicopters have been due for routine check but cannot be flown to Serbia as manufacturers for the check”
Despite the lingering allegations of corruption and abuse of office hanging on his neck, Air Marshal Sadeeq Baba Abubakar is now so desperate to govern Bauchi State 2023 on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) while his wife, one Sadiya Umar Farouk, supposedly a federal minister representing Zamfara State in the federal executive council is too much in love to be addressed as Bauchi State First Lady which has necessitated her to shift base to Bauchi State, allegedly misusing public funds at the disposal of her ministry to oil the campaign machinery of her drowning husband.
Although it is Sadeeq’s right to aspire to any elective position of his choice pending the outcome of the court case, the most disturbing question begging for answer borders on the local government he hails from in Bauchi State and definitely not the Giade he loves to claim.
The embattled former Chief of Air Staff joined the services of the Nigerian Air force as a resident of Bauchi and an indigene of Bauchi local government after the return of his biological father to Nigeria from Cameroun where he served in the colonial government. In the political space, he is identified as an indigene of Bauchi local government but has of late, started claimed the indigeneship of Giade local government in Bauchi North senatorial zone where he is relatively unknown. On return to Nigeria in December 2020, Group Captain Ahmed Musa approached the Federal High Court for the enforcement of his fundamental right to liberty and fair hearing seeking to restrain further infringements on his rights in view of the actions of the now sacked Chiefs of Air Staff and Defence Intelligence whom he could not openly challenge while in service.
