President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that he did not collect $300,000 and five armoured sports utility cars from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) contrary to speculation.
The President’s denial is coming on the heels of allegation alleging that the President collected the said amount from the NSA’s office after the attack on his convoy in Kaduna.
The President however confirmed that he received one armoured SUV and one untreated one and that the vehicles were parts of his entitlements as a former Head State.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina made the clarification in a statement released to newsmen yesterday.
According to the statement, the said cars since they were his entitlement there was nothing “untoward, illegal or tending to corruption” in President receiving the cars from the Federal Government.
“Our attention has been drawn to reports making the rounds, especially on internet-based media, that President Muhammadu Buhari received $300,000.00 and up to five armoured SUVs from the Office of the National Security Adviser in the aftermath of the attack on his convoy in Kaduna last year. Part of the statement reads
It continued, “We unequivocally deny that President Buhari received $300,000.00 or any monetary compensation whatsoever from the Jonathan Presidency or any of its officials, in the aftermath of that attack, or at any other time since then. While it is true that one armoured SUV and one untreated SUV were sent to the President in the aftermath of the attack, the vehicles were in keeping with his entitlements as a former Head of State under the Remuneration of Former Presidents and Heads of State (And other Ancillary Matters) Decree of 1999.
Explaining further, the statement said, “Section 3, Sub Section 1 of that Decree provides that three vehicles will be provided for former heads of state and replaced every four years. There was therefore nothing untoward, illegal or tending to corruption in former Head of State Buhari and Presidential aspirant, as he then was, receiving vehicles, to which he was statutorily entitled , from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
It added that President Buhari had in keeping with his austere, spartan and frugal disposition shunned most of his entitlements as a former Head of State, but that he was prevailed upon by his supporters to accept the two vehicles for his personal safety in the aftermath of the dastardly attempt to assassinate him.
