Following an ensuing acrimony between the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), and the Chief of Staff (Cos) to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, over National security, a security expert, Mr Jackson Ojo has called for immediate sack of the duo.
DAILY POST reports that a circular from the office of the NSA, which became public on Monday, accused the CoS of hijacking the coordination of security leadership of the country, a role legally assigned to his office.
The NSA, in a circular dated December 9, 2019, entitled: ‘Disruption of National Framework by Unwarranted Meddlesomeness,’ accused Kyari of usurping his powers and those of President Buhari.
Monguno warned Kyari to stop issuing orders on security matters and directed the complacent security and Intelligence Chiefs as well as the Ministers to follow the established line of authority in national security coordination by the President through the NSA.
Meanwhile, Ojo has argued that bringing such sensitive issue of National importance to the public glare without caution exposed the two as weaklings and incapable of holding the two important offices they presently occupied.
He made this known in a telephone interview with our Correspondent on Tuesday, adding that issues surrounding National security remains ‘ top National secret’.
The security expert explained that going by the present state of insecurity in Nigeria, the ongoing feud between Monguno and Kyari portends a serious threat to the nation’s security architecture and disgust to Nigeria as an entity.
According to him, every serious nation treats her National security arrangement with utmost secrecy and discreet intelligence strategy.
He said :“the office of NSA is a very sensitive office, because he is the person saddled with the responsibility of putting together all security reports of every category, ranging from Army to DSS, NIA and many others.
“He is also the one to appropriately advise the President on pattern of action to take on issues revolving around National security.
“You will agree with me that anybody in that kind of position must not be too loud, he must as a matter of importance be a strategic and calm person.
“On the other hand, the presidency is the biggest institution in Nigeria, and the Chief of Staff remains the administrative head of that institution, appointed to coordinate every activity in all segments of the presidency, so, the two offices are very important to the nation.
“In a situation when the two individuals holding these very germane and sensitive positions are fighting on the pages of Newspaper over National security, there is a serious problem at hand.
“It is on that note that I am calling on President Buhari to sack the two individuals instantly without delay, before they embarrass us more and expose our security architecture to danger and ridicule.
“What the two individuals have done is a reflection of lack of respect for the office of the President, who is the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, and outright disrespect to Nigerians and Nigeria”.
Ojo added that what the NSA ought to have done was to have informed the President of perceived sabotage and breach of National security, in which committee could have been set up to investigate and put every suspect under vigilance.
“If you see a thief in your father’s farm, I think the best thing to do is to inform your father and not to shout, because if you shout, the thief will tactically withdraw and escape. The NSA has made any move to investigate the case of sabotage he raised very difficult to investigate by going public, “ he said.
The expert further averred that investigative segments of Nigerian security apparatus must begin investigation on the two senior Presidential aides to get to the root of the whole scenario.
