The National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Buhari, Maj Gen. Babagana Monguno has accused, Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the President of undue interference into matters of National security which has continued to impact negatively on President Buhari agenda of ending insecurity in the country.
This was contained in a leaked memo addressed to the service chiefs by the NSA, and was published by the online platform media Premium Times, the memo directed the Service chiefs to henceforth desist from further taking directives from Abba Kyari.
Though the presidency declined to make any comment on the matter yesterday, concerned Nigerians and analysts said the development was unhealthy for the country especially when the fight against insecurity is anything to go by.
According to the NSA, as contained in the memo, Kyari sometimes do issue orders to service chiefs without necessary taking order from Mr President, a practice he described as counterproductive to the fight against insecurity and that has hampered negatively on the fight, Monguno stated.
Monguno said, “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, it is unprofessional practices for Kyari to be 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, the NSA added.
The NSA further explained such acts and continued meddlesomeness by the Chief of Staff have slowed down the speed and successes the administration would have recorded in the fight on insecurity.
The memo dated December 9th.
A former Director in the Presidency who spoke on the condition of anonymity said though hieratically, the Chief of staff is the head of all political appointee of the President; however it is not clear if he has the powers to call for security meeting without the approval of Mr President.
He said the office of the chief of staff was “like a clearinghouse in the villa” that was responsible for any meeting with the president including with the service chiefs.
It was revealed the tussle between the two offices was laid to rest a few years ago after clarifying with the “US Presidential system of government which places the chief of staff above other appointees.
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