President Muhammadu Buhari’s National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno (RTD) has directed the Service Chiefs including the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Security Services, to desist from holding security meetings with the President’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari. Rootstv Nigeria exclusively report.
In a memo dated 9th of December, 2019 with reference number; NSA/SH/600/A Monguno decried what he described as unwarranted meddlesomeness of the Chief of Staff to the President, to security matters.
The NSA’s memo was in response to the Presidential directive to the Police to sustain internal security in view of the upsurge of insecurity in the country.
However, Monguno claimed in his response that the contents of one of the letters was at variance with the verbal directive given by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“References A and B were sent in response to the request for Presidential intervention to sustain Internal Security operations of the police within the shortest possible time. However the contents of the 2 references were in variance with Mr President’s verbal directives. Consequently, ONSA scrutinized the documents further and sought clarification from Mr President who has directed that Reference B be disregarded by all parties as it was sent without his endorsement”.
He continued saying “why it is expected that all Heads of Security agencies, having spent many years in service would understand the means of passing directives from the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, it may be necessary to remind all, in the face of glaring breaches to that procedure. For clarification, other than direct verbal directives from the President, written directives emanating from Mr President would be conveyed with a copy of his manuscript directive or at minimum, bear his signature.”
“Additionally, Mr President may convey directives to the Heads of defence and security apparatus through the NSA who chairs the Intelligence Community Committee, Joint Intelligence Board and General Security Appraisal Committee on behalf of the President; and the supervising Ministers of defence and security agencies. The NSA Wrote.
Monguno insisted that the Chief of Staff to the President does not have power to give directives to the Security Chiefs or any other security heads other than to convey the President’s written directive.
“Similarly, you are reminded that the Chief of Staff to the President is not a presiding head of security, neither is he sworn to an oath of defending the country. As such, unprofessional practices such as presiding over meetings with Service Chiefs and Heads of security organisations as well as Ambassadors and High Commissioners to the exclusion of the NSA and/or supervising Ministers are a violation of the constitution and directly undermine the authority of Mr President. Such acts and continuous meddlesomeness by the Chief of Staff have not only ruptured our security and defence efforts, but have ‘ slowed down any meaningful gain that Mr President has sought to achieve.”
The NSA reminded the security heads that it was detrimental to the collective security interest of Nigeria for the Chief of Staff to the President to hold security meetings with the service chiefs as well as diplomats.
“As professionals, you are aware that the security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria requires concerted and centralized effort taking into account internal, external and diplomatic factors. It is therefore detrimental to our collective security that the Chief of Staff who is a non-supervising minister holds meetings with diplomats, security chiefs and heads of agencies:
“Pursuant to the foregoing, you are by this letter directed to desist from these illegal acts that serve nothing but the continuous undermining of our national security framework. Any breach of this directive will attract the displeasure of Mr President.” The memo read.
Also copied in the memo as seen by Rootstv Nigeria are Ministers of Defence, Bashir Magashi, Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, the NIA, IGP, DG DSS, Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.
The Power Play
Since 2016, the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari had been hinting that her husband was not in control as the president of the country but some individuals often referred to as a ‘cabals’, were wielding the powers at the Presidency.
In 2018, during a National Women Leadership Summit, organised by Project 4+4 for Bujari/Osinbajo 2019 campaign in Abuja, Aisha had complained that her husband could not achieve much because two powerful men, who ‘did not contest election’ were holding him back.
The President’s wife is not the only person who had openly criticised Kyari and others believed to have hijacked Buhari’s government. In September 2016, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai had in an open described the then SGF, Babachir Lawal and Abba Kyari as “clueless” and “inexperienced”.
It has also been reported that the ‘cabals’ at the Presidency, one led by the President’s nephew, Mamman Daura and his ally, Isah Funtua were at odds with the camp led by the Chief-of-Staff to the President, Abba Kyari who is often referred to as De-facto President of Nigeria due to the power he wielded at the Presidency.
It would be recalled that in August, 20219, during the Presidential retreat for ministerial designates, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed all ministers to direct all executive matters to his Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
“In terms of coordination, kindly ensure that all submissions for my attention or meeting requests be channelled through the Chief of Staff, while all Federal Executive Council matters be coordinated through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Buhari said.
However, this announcement did not go without barrage of reactions from Nigerians judging from the controversies and issues raised against Buhari’s ‘most powerful’ appointee, Abba Kyari.
Many are however concerned that the power play at the Presidency amongst the President’s powerful men is hurting not only the nation’s economy but its security architecture.
NSA VS COAS
While the infighting at the Presidency rages on, the apparent feud between the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai is getting messier by the day.
Recent reports have suggested that the crisis between the two top security chiefs got heightened when the Army Chief allegedly removed senior army officers from the office of the NSA without sending replacements.
According to DAILY NIGERIAN, those transferred by the Army Chief were Major General Adeyinka Famadewa, the Principal General Staff Officer to the NSA, Major General Musa Etsu-Ndagi, the Director Defence Affairs; Brigadier General Jafaru Mohammed, the Director of Finance and Administration; the Special Assistant to the NSA, Colonel AA Ibrahim and; the Director Legal Intercept, SS Shehu.
“Also affected are Colonel Adesuyi (Crisis Center), UF Abubakar (Counter-terrorism centre), among others from the rank of colonel to Major General.”
The NSA, who has not been formally reinstated (just like any other political appointees of the President) by President Muhammadu Buhari since he assumed office for the second term is also reported to be at loggerheads with other security chiefs.
Are criminals taking advantage of the feud amongst high ranking officials of the administration?
With reports of frequent in-fighting amongst high ranking civilian and military personnel in the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, it is difficult to ignore speculations that armed bandits, terrorists and other categories of violent criminals operating in various regions of the country are taking advantage of these feuds and the ensuing confusion to kill and maim innocent Nigerians in urban and semi-urban centres while property are vandalised with reckless abandon by the purveyors of violence.
According to a report by Punch newspaper of Monday, 17th February 2019, over 30 persons were killed in Katsina state recently when armed gangs raided two villages in the state. The report narrated how dozens of gunmen on motorcycles attacked the villages of Tsauwa and Dankar on Friday, shooting residents and burning homes. Also in Kaduna last week, a doctor, Philip Ataga, lost his wife after she was killed by kidnappers who abducted her and two of her kids. The doctor reportedly paid millions of naira in ransom before his daughters were released from the kidnappers’ den. Also last week, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state accused security personnel of aiding the killing of eight persons in Ughelli North LGA of the state.
In the last one year, killing by herdsmen has reached unprecedented levels forcing nationwide outcry from Christian and Islamic clerics across the country including Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto diocese and Sheik Ahmed Gumi. Other prominent citizens including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former chief of army staff, T.Y. Danjuma and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have all expressed public concerns over the worsening security situation in the country. Even more, confounding for millions of Nigerians is the resurgence of the terror group Boko Haram who last week attacked the city of Maiduguri in the wake of President Buhari’s visit. Other northeastern states like Adamawa and Bauchi have also seen an uptick in violent attacks in the last few months.
Many observers consider it strange that senior officials of government are either ignorant of the immense security threats facing the country or have simply taken refuge in playing the ostrich.NSA Babagana Monguno has raised some salient points in the memo sighted by ROOTSTV, what is, however, unclear is whether the President would deem it fit to expeditiously investigate the matter and sanction erring officials who assumed powers that are alien to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
