There were concerns about
the whereabouts of the 63 year-old retired general today after he was
conspicuously absent at two critical meetings in succession.
Where is Major-general
Mohammed Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser to President Muhammadu
Buhari?
He was absent at the
Federal Executive Council meeting last week Wednesday, which Buhari presided
over. He was also absent at today’s meeting between President Buhari and the
service chiefs.
Those present at Monday’s
security briefing were Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, Chief
of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique
Abubakar, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas and the Inspector
General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
In one of the photographs
circulated about the meeting, there was a vacant seat as the military chiefs
met with their commander-in-chief. Usually, the person the seat was meant for
ought to have sat down before the president came in. But this was not the case
before the photo session ended and the meeting began.
Some unconfirmed reports
said the retired general has been told to keep off the Aso Rock Presidential
Villa, as he was also reportedly stripped of the service of support staff from
the various branches of the military.
The developments were
triggered by the showdown Monguno had with the Chief of Staff, Malam Abba Kyari
over who should coordinate the military service and intelligence chiefs.
In a now famous memo he
sent to President Buhari, Monguno complained about the hijack of his duties by
the Chief of staff, a civilian and President Buhari’s foremost personal staff.
M onguno in the memo dated 9 December
2019 accused Abba Kyari of meddlesomeness in national security matters.
“Chief of staff to the
president is not a presiding head of security, neither is he sworn to an oath
of defending the country,” an incensed Monguno, a retired major-general, said
in the letter.
“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 continues
meddlesomeness by the chief of staff have not only ruptured our security an
defence efforts but have slowed down any meaningful gain that Mr President has
sought to achieve.”
Ordinarily, Kyari should
have no role in security matters , but it appears, he has been playing the
surrogate for President Buhari by holding meetings with the security chiefs,
without the involvement of the official that they should normally discuss with.
There was no indication of
how long this absurdity has been going on, but Monguno appeared eager to end
the anomaly, hence his warning memo to all service chiefs to desist from taking
further directives from Kyari.
The leaked memo now
appeared to have backfired on his status within the Buhari administration.
Before his retirement in
2013 at the age of 56, the Borno-born Monguno had a stellar military career. He
was Chief of Defence Intelligence from July 2009 to September 2011; and the
Commander of the Brigade of Guards from 2007 to 2009.
He also served as the Chief
of Logistics at Defence Headquarters and later as Commander of the Nigerian
Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). He was also at one time Deputy
Commandant, National Defence College.
Monguno was educated at
King’s College, Lagos. He then went to the Nigerian Defence Academy and
graduated as an officer cadet in the 21st Regular Course. Some of his mates
were the late Alex Sabundu Badeh, a former chief of air staff and also chief of
defence staff.
Monguno was appointed
National Security Adviser on July 13, 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
P.M.News learnt on Monday
night, that he has not been re-appointed by President Buhari, by being issued
an official letter.
Monguno is married to
Nafisah Munir, the daughter of former Nigerian Ambassador to Turkey, Muhammad
Lawal Munnir. He also has three children.
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