Quote:Buhari’s Team In Disarray As Monguno Declares War On Abba Kyari

Nigeria’s national security adviser, Babagana Monguno, has accused President Mohammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, of undue and dangerous interference on matters bordering on national security.

Consequently, Mr Monguno has fired a warning memo to all service chiefs to desist from taking further directives from Mr Kyari, according to documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Monguno said Mr Kyari’s directives to service chiefs were sometimes issued without the knowledge much less approval of the president, a practice he said has added to government’s failure to contain insecurity.

“Chief of staff to the president is not a presiding head of security, neither is he sworn to an oath of defending the country,” Mr Monguno, a retired major-general, said in the December 9, 2019, letter.

“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 continues meddlesomeness by chief of staff have not only ruptured our security an defence efforts, but have slowed down any meaningful gain that Mr President has sought to achieve.”

Mr Monguno’s letter comes as insecurity returns to centre stage as a major cause for worry among Nigerians.Violent attacks linked to bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and vandals have continued to claim multiple lives and properties across the country.

The president has repeatedly promised to curb the crises, many of which he met in office, but has largely failed like his predecessors.

Security experts, opposition and federal lawmakers have responded by advising the president to fire his service chiefs.

The service chiefs have been unable to rein in Boko Haram insurgents since 2015 when Mr Buhari named them to take charge of various arms of the nation’s security architecture.

While previously held swathes of land have been taken back from terrorists, deadly attacks on civilians and military targets have worsened since 2018.

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, said in recent media interviews that the military has degraded insurgents’ capacity to attack Abuja and other cities outside the war-ravaged northeast.

National security sources told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the fresh memo showed how Mr Kyari has helped in keeping the service chiefs in office despite overwhelming call for their ouster.

It also underscored the frustration faced by Mr Monguno and others who found Mr Kyari’s influence over the president too domineering for national benefit, sources said.

Mr Kyari and two presidential spokespersons, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, did not return requests for comments about the memo Monday afternoon.

Quote:PDP ask President Buhari to Resign


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the revelation by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), that strange persons have been presiding over critical affairs of governance further validates its position that President Muhammadu Buhari has abdicated the responsibilities of his office.

Following this revelation by no other person than the NSA, the PDP reiterates its earlier position that President Buhari should waste no further time in relinquishing his position as President since it is now obvious that he has become overwhelmed by official duties.

The PDP holds that security is the most important element of governance, followed by the welfare of citizens and since President Buhari has relinquished these statutory responsibilities, he has no other reason to remain in office.

The party says the NSA’s letter, which is already in the public domain, further exposes the fact that our nation has been on autopilot under President Buhari, whose abdication of serious matters of state is directly responsible for the untold suffering, anguish, pain and escalated insecurity in the country.

The PDP describes the Gen. Monguno revelation as a national tragedy which showcases the fact that Mr. President Buhari has become so irredeemably overwhelmed to the extent that the responsibilities of his office, including presiding over very sensitive security matters, have now been taken over by his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, who functions as a defacto President.

Nigerians are invited to note the verdict by the NSA, who, in support of the position of the PDP, affirmed that such situation is responsible for the failure of government to defend Nigerians and find solution to the worsened insecurity under President Buhari’s watch.

Our party recalls that even the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, had severally alerted that strange elements had usurped the functions of the president and urged Nigerians to speak out for their country.

It is now clear that the demand by Nigerians calling on President Buhari to resign was borne out of patriotism and love for our country.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary