The cold war between the National Security Adviser, NSA, Babagana
Monguno, a retired Major-General and the cabal in Aso Rock may have
switched to a higher gear with the cabal pushing to oust Monguno and
install a fresh hand.
The cabal is said to be considering either ex-Director General of the
Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura or ex-Chief of Army
Staff, Yusuf Burutai, a retired Lt. General.
Monguno has been having a running battle with Aso Rock cabal initially
led by former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari.
However since the death of Kyari who died of Covid-19 in June, 2020,
Sabiu Yusuf, aka Tunde, a personal aide to the President has been
spearheading the plot to ease Monguno out of the system.
Appointed on July 13, 2015 by President Buhari, Monguno whom Aso Rock
insiders said is loved by Buhari, has raised the red flag over certain
inconsistencies and unwholesome, even unprofessional conducts, within
the nation’s security apparatchik to the anger of the cabal who felt
indicted by the NSA.
Security insiders said Monguno has always maintained that security
issues including arms procurement should be handled discretely and
professionally by only persons conversant with such matters, a position
some members of the cabal felt was an affront on their involvement in
the nation’s security affairs.
Specifically, on December 9, 2019, Monguno, unable to bear what a source
described as “trader’s mentality” in handling of security issues penned
a letter to President Buhari alerting him to the unprofessional conduct
of Abba Kyari whom he accused of holding court with service chiefs
without the consent of the NSA.
Monguno said Kyari was fond of giving directives to the service chiefs,
sometimes without the knowledge, much less approval of President Buhari
and himself as NSA, a practice, he said, has contributed to government’s
inability to contain insecurity in the country.
He wrote: “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 continued 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,” the letter
read.
Monguno’s memo to the President was considered a direct attack on the
cabal which had Sabiu Yusuf, Mamman Daura, President Buhari’s nephew,
and Lawal Daura as members. Shortly after the death of Abba Kyari, the
cabal was said to have picked the gauntlet to push for the ouster of
Monguno.
However, in spite of the outburst of Monguno as contained in his memo,
Buhari rewarded him shortly after the letter trended with yet an extra
responsibility. He was named as Co-Chair along with Humanitarian Affairs
Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, for the then newly formed National
Humanitarian Coordination Committee, an indication that President Buhari
is pleased with his service to the country.
One of the strategies to effect the ouster of Monguno was to stick a tag
of corruption on him. Recently, there were moves to investigate
Brigadier General Jafaru Mohammed, a Director of Finance in the office
of the NSA. General Mohammed is suspected to be a front of the NSA whom
they allege has acquired choice properties on behalf of Monguno.
Those tipped to replace Monguno are not without their own controversy.
Burutai was once accused of owning properties in Dubai, an allegation he
defended, explaining that his Dubai property was bought with proceeds
from his farming business.
Daura himself was sacked on August 7, 2018 as DG of DSS by then Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo following a siege to the National Assembly by
men of the DSS, an act many described as insurrection against
constituted authority.