Dayo Johnson
29 October 2008
ONE of the four top Army officers standing trial for negligence and cheating before the Court Martial in Akure, Lt.-Col. Paul Baba, said yesterday he made the controversial payment of N120 million to the wrong peacekeepers based on oral briefing given to him by the Field Finance Officer to the Nigerian contingent in Liberia, Lt.-Col. Isaac Ohiaka.
Four officers were charged with negligence and cheating before the Brigadier-General Ishaya Bauka-led Court Martial.
The four officers are Commanding Officer, Col. A. A. Awotoye, Lt.-Col. P.A. Baba, Major A.K. Shonva and Major C. H. Chajoku, who are all finance officers.
While being cross-examined by the prosecution witness, Lt.-Col. T. S Nurseman, at the trial of the foursome yesterday, Baba washed his hands of the mix-up.
The mix-up spurred the 28 peacekeepers to protest the non-payment of their allowances on return from Liberia on July 4, this year.
Baba said he made the payment to the Nigerian Battalion 14 drawn from 72 Para- Battalion, Makurdi, based on information given to him by one Lt.-Col. Ohiaka.
He said: "I was only a conveyor belt as I carried out the instruction given to me by SO/G1/G4 (Ohiaka). My action was not responsible for the protest."
Baba said he did not request for any evidence from Ohiaka who instructed him to pay NIBATT 14 troops.
He said, he however, requested for payment schedule from the authorities at the 72 Para-Batallion, but that he waited endlessly for it.
However, Baba said he had to pay $1.54 million to them after waiting for the payment schedule which failed to come.
According to him: "I have to base the payment of the compulsory savings to NIBATT 14 troops on oral briefing given to me by Ohiaka.
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