Though the dust from the back and forth which ensued when the National Assembly jointly called for the resignation of the service chiefs is yet to settle, another round of intrigue seems to be pouring from within the rank and file in Aso Rock.
During the week, the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, was quoted to have said when faced with the question of the seeming incompetence of the service chiefs that President Buhari cannot just sack the service chiefs in a whiff.
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However, on Monday, the sword dangling over the fate of the service chiefs who oversee the security of lives and property in the nation descended further when a memo written by the National Security Adviser, Major General Babangana Monguno (Rtd), to the service chiefs in December was leaked to the media.
There were all sorts of allegations which in summary pointed accusatory fingers at the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari. The memo stated that Abba Kyari is usurping the role of the NSA and the president by directing the security architecture of the country. It also warned the service chiefs that they should henceforth desist from taking any directives whatsoever from Abba Kyari.
One thing is certain about the leaked memo. The NSA or his loyalists must have wanted the Nigerian public to see the hanky-panky game being played by the president’s right hand man and possibly shame the man into retreat as his antics is now confirmed by an insider.
Also, reports filtering into the media as of Friday morning shows that in reaction to the memo fired to the service chiefs to sit tight and stop gallivanting with Abba Kyari, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Yusuf Buratai has reportedly ordered the recall of all Army personnel attached officially to the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA). It was reported that between February 4 and 10, 23 army officers were recalled – as a reprisal to spite the NSA – from ONSA and reassigned to other postings without replacing them with new officers at the ONSA.
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With all of these revelations and counter-reactions, many will now believe that Abba Kyari is really one of the major members of the so-called cabal which the First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari herself once rebuked publicly for controlling the presidency without the president’s input.
This further confirms the suspicion by analysts that there is infighting in the top cadre in the national security architecture and this could be the reason there has been a spate of tales of insecurity nationwide of late.
If the Chief of Staff to the President can hijack the direction that the security framework of the country should go because of his own selfish reasons, how else can the NSA and the service chiefs effectively carry out their professional duties?
Someone might have to wake the president up from the so-called tired slumber; to take charge of his office and steer aright as is the mandate handed to him when he was re-elected (and not his cunning and fearsome Chief of Staff). The National Assembly too – comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives – will also have to urgently consider these new developments spilling from Aso Rock and take constitutional/requisite action against anyone who intends to be taking the whole country for a wild ride.
Sources:
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