• North moves to back Sambo Dasuki •Gusau, Akilu may replace Bello Haliru
A graphic account of how General Andrew Owoye Azazi (rtd) was removed on Friday as National Security Adviser by President Goodluck Jonathan has emerged.
Inside sources at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, who gave the chilling description of how Azazi’s stay at the helm of the nation’s security apparatchik ended, said it all began moments after the President returned from Brazil.
When he came back after attending the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the President immediately summoned a meeting of the National Security Council and National Defence Council with Azazi in attendance.
According to sources, after the meeting he invited Azazi to his office and told him there was no need for him to go back to his office as he was being replaced.
Azazi was stunned to the marrow. Still in bewilderment, the former NSA then sent for his aides to help retrieve his personal effects from the office.
The President had sacked the NSA and Defence Minister Bello Haliru Mohammed. Azazi has been replaced by Colonel Sambo Dasuki, who once served as aide de camp to former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd). The replacement for Mohammed is yet to be named for screening by the Senate.
Announcing the shake-up, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, had said: "The NSA has been dropped; Sambo Dasuki has been announced as his replacement. The minister of defence has also been dropped," Abati had said.
In the meantime, retired military and security chiefs are moving to back Dasuki, a scion of the Sokoto caliphate, in the new assignment.
The officers are said to be resolved to provide a bulwark behind Dasuki to rein in the Boko Haram menace and find a permanent solution to the growing insecurity in parts of the North.
The President had left the country on Monday as suicide bomb attacks ravaged three churches in Kaduna last Sunday.
The attacks, which killed several people, would later spark off further violence in the city and in Yobe State, necessitating a 24-hour curfew.
THISDAY, has however, learnt that the President’s move against Azazi and Mohammed was not without reasons, immediate and remote.
The immediate reason, according to the sources, was last week’s bomb attacks in Kaduna and Yobe states and the poor handling of the crisis by the security team.
It was learnt that there was high wire intrigue within the top echelon at the Presidential Villa, which came to fore during the President’s trip to Brazil.
There was a clash of strategy by the officers on how to respond to the challenge posed by the Kaduna bomb attack.
Also, the mystery death of Boko Haram kingpin Bama within 24 hours after his capture, though with gun shot wounds, according to sources, played its role in the President’s move to shake up the security team.
Apart from his past alleged indiscretion in the handling of his very high sensitive position, the NSA’s poor coordination of relevant agencies especially in the Kaduna crisis and his outburst on the emergency rule rumpus was not well-received by the President who felt it was one offence too many.
THISDAY learnt that the fall-out, which has been a build-up to not too cordial relationship in the cabinet, may lead to full cabinet reshuffle by President Jonathan.
“The changes were also informed by the need to inject fresh blood, fresh ideas into the security apparatchik of the country,” one of the sources said.
Following the sack of Muhammed as Defence Minister, former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau (rtd) and Director of Military Intelligence under General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, Colonel Alilu Akilu (rtd), are now in consideration for the Defence Minister.
THISDAY has learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan is seriously considering the two former top security men because he is desirous of giving the top job to a strong personality with the military background to rein in the armed forces to combat insecurity.Gusau was Chief of Army Staff during the Babangida regime and served as NSA for most of President Olusegun Obasanjo's civilian regime.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended President Jonathan for taking what it called a pro-active action to upgrade and address the present security challenges in the country.PDP was said to have pushed for Azazi’s removal, claiming that his loyalty is suspect because of his remark on April 27 at a summit of the South-South states in Asaba, Delta State, during which he blamed the increasing insecurity in the land on the zoning policy of the party.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, who applauded the President for the changes, said: “we as a political party are very much encouraged by the pro-active action taken last Friday in the sack of Azazi”.He said the President’s action“has proved that he is on top of the security challenges in the country. The President’s action is aimed at curtailing the violence and insecurity in the country.“PDP as a political party has complete faith in the ability and competence of President Jonathan to handle affairs of Nigeria as a country at this critical time,” Metuh said, while appealing to Nigerians to give maximum support to the administration, saying, “God has given Nigeria a humble and humane leadership to administer affairs of the country.”The PDP spokesman said the security challenges in Nigeria could have created a dictator, were another person to be in charge of affairs of Nigeria.
“This situation could have created a monster and dictatorship in another person in Nigeria in the management of the present security challenges,” Metuh said.
