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Last week, two phantom groups, headed by two guys who do not have the courage of their conviction, issued an incoherent statement calling for the removal from office of the head of a major intelligence agency.
Checks by this column have established that none of the names used as signatories to the statement is real. They are fake names used because even the jesters behind the whole thing know all they are out to do is to create confusion and help their sponsors achieve an ethnic agenda.
It was the second time the same illegitimate groups styling themselves as civil society organisations have issued statements making all sorts of spurious, totally irresponsible and utterly dangerous claims.
It doesn’t matter to those being used that the issue they are totally ignorant about is that of national security, and their dastardly action is coming at a time when all hands are needed on deck to turn things around towards securing the Nigerian nation. But then, their sponsors, who are sitting atop the nation’s security today, do not bother.
The groups are apparently being sponsored by two top officials, a minister and a top adviser to the President, who are not happy that someone not from their own tribe or religion is heading such an agency of government. One of them has even gone to the ridiculous extent of writing a memo to the President, asking for the removal of the person in question from office, citing childish and pedestrian reasons rooted in personal hatred.
Definitely these are callous, totally insensitive officials who do not care about whether President Buhari bequeaths a credible legacy or not. All they are interested about is the continuation of an ego battle that they started since the days of the service chiefs who were retired from the military in January last year. Are these desperadoes aware that time is running out, and President Buhari has barely a year remaining to put things right?
While at that, I stumbled upon a statement issued by the Conference of Civil Society for Peace, Security and National Development (CCSPSND) addressing another issue to do with our national security. Writing under the headline: “Media attacks against military irresponsible, handiwork of state enemies,” this credible CSO tried to set the records straight regarding ceaseless attacks against the military, especially the intelligence services. For the purpose of clarity, Brass Tacks is reproducing the statement hereunder:
“We have read with dismay the press conference signed by one Dr. Aliyu Bello and Ambassador Jude Uchenna of the Peace and conflict Resolution Initiative and Alliance for Justice and Peace in their reaction to the unfortunate killing of 66 vigilantee, in Kebbi State by armed bandits.
“The Conference of Civil Society for Peace, Security and National Development (CCSPSND) vehemently condemns the publication as baseless and done in very bad faith. The tone and personal attack on individual offices as shown in the publication amply indicated a group of people on a poisonous mission against the common good of our beloved country. It is either the conveners of the press conference lacked the understanding of the workings of the intelligence agencies and architecture in the country or they are blinded by the mere peanuts promised to them by their faceless sponsors.
“In the press release in Abuja, Dr. Adamu Muhammad and Hon. Mike Msuaan, conveners of (CCSPSND), accused the groups of working with enemies of the country to undermine the efforts of the Federal Government and the security agencies in the war against insurgency and banditry.
“The gains made in the war against terror in the North-East, North-West and secessionists elements in the South-East and South-West should tell every Nigerian that the security forces are working together and for the overall good of the country.
“The Conference of Civil Society for Peace, Security and National Development stated that the decisive success is a result of strings of credible intelligence efforts provided to the fighting forces on land and in the air. The group insisted that the accuracy with which the airstrikes and clearance missions are carried out only suggests sophistication in intelligence gathering by the DIA and other intelligence agencies.
“On the accusation by Dr. Bello and Ambassador Jude Uchenna that the DIA is manned by loyalists of former service chiefs, the CCSPSND noted that the current setup of the DIA is made up of very patriotic and determined military officers who have been part of the war against insurgency and banditry in the country and are versed with the tactics to combat the terrorists and bandits.
“According to Dr. Adamu Muhammad and Hon. Mike Msuaan, the current leadership of the DIA who was the CMI left indelible marks in the North-East theatre of operations. Under his watch, there was a massive decimation of BokoHaram terrorists, their informants, collaborators and logistics suppliers. The records are there and open for anyone to see. They are, therefore, not new to the war and have not been appointed into the intelligence unit as a mark of loyalty to any former service chief.
“CCSPSND conveners, therefore, termed such accusations as baseless, spurious, unfounded and utterly pedestrian. It goes to show that the sponsors of the infamous press release have scores to settle with former military leadership, which is rather unfortunate. By the way, Dr. Bello and Mr. Uchenna failed to realize that all the current service chiefs and others holding key appointments in the military were critical parts of the previous military leadership. One wonders why the DIA was singled out for the campaign of calumny by those seeking to benefit from changes in the leadership.
“The press release is a handiwork of desperate and unpatriotic persons who are as dangerous to the nation as the monster we are confronting. The group stated that the former chief of military intelligence (CMI) who is now heading the DIA is a tested and trusted, no nonsense military personnel who has been in the theater of war in the North-East for a long time and has admirably vast experience and expertise in the war against insurgency. His contributions to decimate Boko Haram/ISAWP are well known.
“We are shocked to read a very demonic conspiracy concocted by enemies of Nigeria whose logic is not just imbecilic but kindergarten and devilish in all ramifications.
To imagine that such trash is published in a reputable newspaper like The Vanguard is disappointing to say the least”
“The publication by the organizations led by Dr Aliyu Bello and Ambassador Uchenna remains a bunch of failed rabble rousers who have made themselves available to be used or are tools sponsored by enemies of the state and fed to defame an extremely hardworking, thoroughbred and highly professional intelligence officer. They have never come out to appreciate the successes recorded by the military in the war irrespective of the glaring fact that several top commanders of the terrorists have been gunned down and their fighters arrested. They have kept a blind eye to the hundreds of thousands of Boko Haram fighters who have surrendered and the many informants and collaborators arrested. They have refused to acknowledge the opening of roads and markets that were hitherto locked down as a result of the activities of Boko Haram /ISWAP. The return of the people back to their deserted communities mean nothing to them. They are only interested to do the bidding of their sponsors. This is unpatriotic. The group concluded.
“The unfortunate cowardly attack on members of Vigilantee groups in Zuru area in Kebbi state remains condemnable. We have confidence in the ability of the military and other security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book.
“The CCSPSND called on Nigerians to discountenance the press release from the group and continue to cooperate with security forces to further destroy these elements of disunity “ The group stated.
“Mr President knows the output of the intelligence agencies particularly the DIA and will certainly disregard this group who do not mean well for our nation but rather to serve their selfish interest.”
The statement ends there.
This columns finds it necessary to caution top officials of government managing the nation’s security that they don’t have the luxury of time to engage in blame game, as what is at stake goes far beyond their selfish personal interests. Part of the major legacies that President Buhari is determined to bequeath to the nation is a more secure nation in which activities of non-state actors are permanently nipped in the bud. That surely cannot be achieved when all that one or two persons who supervise our national security are interested in, is the pursuit of pecuniary, self-serving and ethnic agenda.
Until recently, these same groups were pursuing the Department of State Services and attributing all sorts of false misdeeds to it. Now they are after the Defence Intelligence Agency, and only God knows who they will go after tomorrow. It is clear they are engaged in these dirty tactics to divert attention away from their very glaring failure in the discharge of their statutory duties, and have to find innocent people they supervise to hang their unprecedented inefficiency and ineptitude on.
This column continues to closely monitor the situation and will not hesitate to approach President Buhari with fresh facts about the misdeeds of close officials of his, who are desperately trying to push him into perdition. We thank the president that he has thus far, refused to be deceived by these jesters.
Nigeria belongs to all of us. The insistence by these few selfish jesters that only people from a particular part of the country or tribe or religion should head security or Intelligence agencies is a dangerous signal the President should draw from his rich experience to resist. The national interest of Nigeria far supersedes those of any narrow minded minister or an adviser to the president.
