The National Security Adviser, NSA, Babagana Monguno, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, of usurping his responsibilities.
The NSA, which is a key position in Nigeria’s security architecture, accused Kyari of “meddlesomeness” in matters of national security.
In a memo to all Service Chiefs, Monguno urged them to desist from taking further directives from Mr. Kyari, accusing the Chief of Staff of issuing directives to Service Chiefs without the knowledge of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Kyari is believed to be one of the inner caucus of President Buhari administration, who are referred pejoratively as cabals, who are actually the unseen hands behind most of the policies of the administration.
The memo dated December 9, 2019, reads in part, “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.”
Vanguard reports that the last paragraph of the three-page memo reads, “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.”
