There are strong indications that the Federal Government may summon the South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, over the botched arms deal which led to the seizure of millions of dollars meant for the purchase of military hardware.
It was learnt that some senior officials met on Wednesday in Abuja where they decided that the time was ripe for Nigeria to address frontally the embarrassing blockage of the arms deal by South Africa.
The South African authorities had confiscated $9.5m and $7.5m meant for purchase of arms by Nigeria in two separate incidents, on the guise that the deals did not conform to due process, according to its laws.
Our correspondent learnt that it was decided that the Ambassador should be summoned to explain Pretoria’s rationale for its action against Nigeria, in view of the various political and economic benefits South Africa had enjoyed from her relationship with the Federal Government.
A source said, the decision to summon Mnguni, had been taken by senior government officials and he was to have been invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, but our correspondent was unable to ascertain why the move was shelved.
