Presidency mute as tension mounts in villa over NSA, COS supremacy battle

By OBINNA EZUGWU

The deep divisions between in the presidency, pitting key staff staffers of President Muhammadu Buhari government against one another came to the fore yesterday following the leakage of a memo by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno accusing the powerful Chief of Staff to the president, Abba Kyari of dangerous interference on matters of national security, especially as it concerns the ongoing war against Boko Haram terrorists in the country’s northeast region.

In the memo titled “DISRUPTION OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY FRAMEWORK BY UNWARRANTED MEDDLESOMENESS,” and dated December 9, 2019, in reference to earlier memos dated 13 September 2019 and 26 November 2019, Monguno also fired a warning at service chiefs, telling them to desist from taking further directives from Kyari.

Monguno pointed out that the COS is not a presiding head of security, neither did he swear oath of defending the country. He said Kyari’s directives to service chiefs were sometimes issued without the knowledge much less approval of the president. This, he added, was partly responsible for the government’s inability to contain insecurity.

“References A and B were sent in response to the request for presidential intervention to sustain internal security operations of the police within the shortest possible time. However the contents of the 2 references were in variance with Mr President’s verbal directives,” Monguno’s memo read.

“Consequently, ONSA scrutinized the documents further and sought clarification from Mr President who has directed that Reference B be disregarded by all parties as it was sent without his endorsement.

“2. While it is expected that all heads of security agencies, having spent many years in service would understand means of passing directives from the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, it may be necessary to remind all, in the face of glaring breaches to that procedure.

“For clarification, other than direct verbal directives from the President, written directives emanating from Mr President would be conveyed with a copy of his manuscript directive or at minimum, bear his signature.

“Additionally, Mr President may convey directives to the heads of defence and security apparatus through the NSA who chairs the Intelligence Community Committee, Joint Intelligence Board and General Security Appraisal Committee on behalf of the President and the supervising ministers of defence and security agencies.

“It should be noted that the Chief of Staff to the President does not direct security apparatus of the Federal Republic of Nigeria — his job as it relates to security stops at conveying Mr President’s written directives.

“3. Similarly, you are reminded that the 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.

“4. As professionals, you are aware that the security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria requires concerted and centralized effort taking into account internal, external and diplomatic factors.

“It is therefore detrimental to our collective security that the Chief of Staff who is a non-supervising minister holds meetings with diplomats, security chiefs and heads of agencies.

“5. 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 displeasure of Mr President.”

Since the memo leaked yesterday, sources say there is unease and palpable tension in Aso Rock. And instructively, the presidency has maintained deafening silence amid the controversy.

Neither Mallam Garba Shehu nor Femi Adesina, official spokespersons of President Buhari, has come out with a statement to address the very telling allegations raised by Monguno, a retired Major General.

Attempts by Business Hallmark to reach Mr. Adesina for comments on Tuesday fell through as he did not take calls to his phone line and did not respond to SMS sent to him in this regard.

The silence, some say, is an indication that Mr. Kyari, widely seen as the defacto president who stepped into the shoes of Buhari’s uncle, Mamman Daura, may have the backing of the president.

Making an indirect inference in this respect, former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani noted via his twitter handle, @ShehuSani that, “If the Field Mashall is silent or neural or indifferent to the petition written by General Grema against General Gana,then it should be understood that all of General Gana’s action is done with the consent of the Field Mashall. General Grema should read the signs, kow tow or quit.”

This will not be the first time key appointees of the president will be disagreeing openly, a pattern many say, speaks to Buhari’s apparent inability to control his appointees.

In 2015, the then Lawal Daura led DSS wrote an indicting report against Acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu to the senate to prevent his confirmation as substantive chairman of the anti corruption agency. This was even after Buhari had written to the senate requesting the confirmation.

Again, in 2016, Monguno was locked in a fierce supremacy battle with Lawal Daura, a battle that lasted until Daura was removed from office as DG of DSS in August 2018.

Structurally, Daura was a subordinate to Monguno in his capacity as the overall coordinator of national security, yet for several years the duo rarely interacted with one another.

Still, Buhari’s wife, Aisha, has been at loggerheads with Kyari, Mamman Daura and other close associates of the president. A few months ago, a video of Mrs. Buhari ordering Daura’s children out of their residence in the Villa emerged.

Subsequently, Mrs. Buhari publicly lampooned some of the president’s aides and family members, including Garba Shehu and Mamman Daura, accusing them of relegating her in her husband’s government.