How Aliyu Gusau’s Conditions Led to Service Chiefs Sack

Culled From Persecondnews.com

Indications emerged Wednesday, why President Goodluck Jonathan sacked the service chiefs and appointed new ones. Contrary to the statement by the President on Tuesday that the sack of the service chiefs was because of unhealthy competition and rivalry amongst them, Per Second News gathered that the sack of the officers was one of the conditions given by the former NSA Aliyu Gusau, in accepting to be the minister of Defence.aliyu gusau

Perceived by some Northern leaders as a rallying point for addressing the insecurity problems in the region, leaders mounted pressure on Gusau to accept the Defence minister’s position.

In a meeting with highly placed persons held last month, Gusau, requested that the Service Chiefs be removed for him to accept the job.

Also as part of his conditions, the former Director of the Military Intel also requested that all the new service chiefs must report to him directly.

Gusau, with wide influence in both civilian and military circles played a central role in ensuring that the transition to democracy in May 1999 went smoothly. Gusau was the National Security Advisor in the crucial period when former political office holders in the armed forces were retired in June 1999, helping President Obasanjo assume control of the armed forces as a civilian President. He remained National Security Advisor during most of Obasanjo’s presidency. He left office to compete in the 2006 (PDP) primaries for presidential candidate, coming third.

On 8 March 2010, as acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced that he was removing Major-General Sarki Mukhtar as National Security Adviser and replacing him with Gusau.

Speaking at a seminar in April 2010, Gusau said the legal system seemed to promote crime and the law enforcement agencies appeared overwhelmed. He also said that efforts to fight corruption were perceived as selective and ineffective, and some of the agencies had credibility problems since their leaders had been accused of corruption.

In April 2010 it was announced that Aliyu would seek nomination to be a candidate in the 2011 Presidential elections under the flag of the ruling party – Peoples Democratic Party (P.D.P). This effort was frustrated through a Northern Consensus Candidature bid which he lost to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Per Second News gathered that he still nurse the ambition of becoming President of Nigeria.