By Eric Teniola

MAJOR General Mohammed was the military governor of Benue-Plateau from July 1975 to February 1976 during the military regime of General Murtala Muhammed. He was also the first Director-General of the National Security Organisation, NSO. He lives quietly now in Ilorin. He had his military service between 1958-1979.

In 1999 when President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, asked the late Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette to prepare for his approval, the schedule of certain public officers including ministers and their portfolios, there was no schedule or portfolio assigned to the national security adviser.

I asked Dr. Goke Adegoroye who assisted Chief Ekaette in drafting the memo for the schedule of ministers and their portfolios recently, why nothing was assigned to the NSA. He said the expectation was that President Obasanjo being a retired military officer would assign responsibilities for the national security adviser.  “Don’t forget, Eric that it was purely a military affair, both the President and the NSA were from the military and the peculiar circumstances of the time, transiting from military to civilian democratic administration demanded special considerations. Since every power flows from the President, it should be the duty of the President to assign specific responsibilities to the NSA as he deems fit”.

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In government circles till today, it is classified as “senior official in the cabinet of the President of Nigeria who serves as the chief adviser to the President on national security issues. The national security adviser participates in the meetings of the National Security Council, and other deliberations on security and intelligence matters.

“The national security adviser manages national security on behalf of the President through the National Security Council, the Joint Intelligence Board and the Intelligence Community Committee. The national security adviser is the principal officer of the National Security Council and advises the president on national security issues. Appointment to the office does not require confirmation from the Nigerian Senate, and the holder serves at the pleasure of the president. The functions of the national security adviser varies from administration to administration; and depends, not only on the qualities of the person appointed to the position, but also on the style and management philosophy of the incumbent President”.

At the takeoff of the democratic system in May 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, appointed Lt-General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau as national security adviser. In the intelligence community, General Gusau is feared. In 1993, he was appointed Chief of Army Staff. He has all the contacts, even globally. He resigned in May 2006 to enter the presidential race. President Umaru Yar’Adua, GCFR, then appointed Major General Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar (70) as national security adviser from Kano State in June 2007 and served till March 8, 2010. Major General Mukhtar was former military Governor of Kaduna and Katsina states. After President Yar’Adua’s death, President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, then reappointed Lt-General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau as national security adviser thereafter.

Continues next week…

VANGUARD