President Goodluck Jonathan has dropped the National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi and the Defense Minister, Dr. Bello Haliru from his cabinet.
The removal of the NSA and the Defense Minister is part of the Government’s plan to tackle the rising insecurity in the country caused by the Boko Haram sect.
In his place, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, who was fired by Late General Sani Abacha from the Military will take over as NSA.
It was not immediately clear why the Defense Minister was removed.
There have however been clandestine moves by some northern elements to effect the removal because they view the office of NSA as the north’s exclusive preserve.
Pointblanknews.com had twice reported exclusively moves by some northern elements to stoke
Few days ago all the service chiefs and Azazi met with Vice President Namadi Sambo at the Villa after the twin bomb attacks in Kaduna and the reprisal attacks by christian youths.
Azazi got into hot water recently when he alleged that the politicians in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should be blamed for Boko Haram’s birth and unending rampage.
Jonathan and the PDP had pushed back condemning Azazi for his remarks which was well received by a cross section of Nigerians.
Profile of Sambo Dasuki
Mohammed Sambo Dasuki is a former Managing Director of Security Printing & Minting Company Limited. A distinguished retired Military Officer, he attended both American Universities, Washington DC and George Washington University where he obtained a BA in International Relations and MA in Security Policy Studies respectively.
He had his military training in several institutions in Nigeria and abroad including: Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Oklahoma, U.S Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth Kensas.