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National Security Adviser: Making a Case for Tinubu” by Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi, was written on the 3rd of July 2023, a tactical acceptance by the author of President Tinubu’s appointment of Nuhu Ribadu, which he had earlier criticized in the article; “Ribadu, wrong choice for the position of NSA”, published in the Daily Independence online on the 2nd of July 2023.
I am presenting it verbatim, without editing, compression, or commentary — exactly as published. In expectation of the article; “National Security Adviser: A Case For National Interest”, which will be published tomorrow @ bolajioakinyemi.com
“National Security Adviser: Making a Case for Tinubu
By Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi
In my article assessing Mr President’s one month in office, titled; “Tinubu’s One Month Old Presidency; EFCC Chairman will Determine What to Expect from this Administration”, I tried to be as balanced as any reasonable person can be. But the biases of our society has become cultural. If things will change for the better, a national reorientation must run pari passu with institution transformation. We can’t live in hope of change within our institutions without a public change of thinking and behaviour.
Whatever we want to embark upon as a nation to save ourselves must not only address the consequences of corruption but the cultural thinking and behaviour sustaining same.
Many years of military hostage prior to this present democracy has left us damaged with complicated consequence leading to myriad of problems. The major is with our belief system. For whatever reason we are selective, in what to believe and what not to, against the background of our tribe and religion.
Things we all know have been progressively bad before 2015 and become worse since then, we suddenly believe are not as bad because a man from our party, tribe or religion coming to power in less than two months has fixed a progressive downturn of over 20 years. This is not just the height of hypocrisy, it is insanity!
In the assumption of an average Yoruba person, the choice of Ribadu is right because Tinubu is the one who made it, and to a northerner and Muslim, it is because Ribadu is one of it or both with him. If Yoruba is the reason to Mr President, Ribadu won’t be his choice, so that concludes the tribal indictment of Mr President on his way to the Presidency.
Earlier in the year before the election, the need to step out of religion and region and conceptualised nationhood was the focus of Apostolic Round Table; One Man. The lead Speaker Major General Pat Akem, presented the image of a man whose tribe will be competence and religion, justice. Who must be guided by principles he recommended at solving our problem.
As it is today, Tinubu is the “One Man” at hand, what then are the principles that Akem recommend? We may need to reach him to make public his papers or receive his permission to do so on behalf of ART.
Tinubu is in place, the field is now his, if he must play the game to get the result Nigerians are in desperate need now, it must not be business as usual. The files can’t be unattended to till he is almost sleeping off. Meeting time must count for positive delivery as whatever the President can achieve is for the benefit of all and the glory of God.
But permit my view on Nuhu Ribadu’s placement as NSA. In developing thoughts around that, a published opinion of IK Joy-Uzor, an MSc in Strategic Leadership and Change from Manchester Metropolitan University who work in the public sector, has helped formed this article.
General Oladipo Diya (now late) was a lawyer, so by profession he was neither a soldier or trained in intelligence. The only aspects of both skills he got was the training he went through as a military lawyer. But he was appointed and served as NSA to a military regime.
The job of Security Adviser shouldn’t be confused with the job of a Minister of Defence or Minister of Police Affairs. Each of these two ministries have sphered that are directly related to issues of security in their respective ministries but none coordinate the national thrust for the ability of the nation in this critical area. The primary duty of the Minister of Defence is direct supervision and management of the federal armed forces while the Minister of Police Affairs is responsible for affairs of the police.
It therefore means that someone from intelligence, with a background in the military, is not the only prerequisite. National security has grown beyond what we used to call internal security to border security, cyber security, intelligence processing and management, integrating all with the national strategic interest. The NSA is the coordinator of the nation’s intelligence. If this role will be delivered, he will need the cooperation of the services chiefs and those of the defence and police ministers.
All the security apparatus in the country will only operate based on policy directions approved by the President. The NSA channels his advice on Intelligence and national security directly to the President.
Beyond that, all other Security advisers directly or indirectly are in synergy under his authority and whenever there is a difference of opinion on what the national security priorities are, the decision of the NSA prevails and form the basis for policy advice to the President.
It therefore means that from what we are presently faced with, namely, terrorism, kidnapping, brazen banditry, pipeline breaching etc, that are all financially rewarding and corruption funded, the direct angle of our fight against it will be coordinated by the Ministry of Defence.
That said, the intelligence fragments from NIA, DSS, DMI, DIS, PFUI(exact information of this is classified making it unavailable) must be streamlined and their roles well designed if these organisations must give Nigeria the need for a coordinated intelligence unit under the NSA.
Nuhu Ribadu is known for what he did as the Chairman of EFCC and is a former policeman. The office of the NSA coordinates the security thrust for the country. In a way this job is very important at determining the result that may come from whoever the Minister of Defence will be.
A proper national arrangement for a candidate to become the NSA must be hinged on confidence reposed on him, and whether his principal trusts him enough to use him in the discharge of this important office which requires the saying of unpleasant truth at all times, even if the truth is bitter.
The need for him to coordinate all the security agencies on a day-to-day basis, review their needs, determine or identify threats, and propose strategies to mitigate such threats to the nation for presidential approval is of utmost priority. If he will be able to do this and deliver on it is dependent on his direct daily contact with the President both by way of written report and face-to-face briefing.
Individuals appointment to any public office is not enough if they don’t have the panache to get the job done. Getting the job done is a product of leadership skills which Nuhu Ribadu has shown in his days in EFCC.
Ribadu’s success will depend on Mr President’s ability to stand with his appointee through thick and thin as represented in some of the difficult decisions he will have to make. No matter the bitterness, those decisions might be to the public.
The assignment of the NSA goes beyond the realm of divisive discussion about his ethnic or religious background which doesn’t by themselves confer efficiency on anyone in the areas of the development of careers of military and police officers.
Everyone comes into power on the basis of their popularities. But if success must be achieved, men they can trust around them whom they believe can drive their purpose and realign their long-term objectives to fit into everyday decisions making are needed.
Further, a President cannot achieve his purpose without a team working with him with the unity of thought and understanding of his direction and purpose. This is about having a synergy of purpose with all those in and around Mr President. His decisions making process and the willingness and ability of those around him must harmoniously align to produce a positive result. So Ribadu’s capacity in this all important office is hinged on his loyalty to the Presidency.
The footnote portrait of Mr President, known to me from years of careful studies and personal observation is that, hardly do we see any Yoruba man who is a close associate of Asiwaju Tinubu despising his person, personality and political sagacity after over 2 decades of joint work with him.
Ribadu from my observation will remain doggedly committed to Mr President and in the process do whatever it takes to stabilise the country. That said, he need not be a Northerner to help us deal with issues affecting Northern interests in this critical season the region is faced with immense pressure. With the state of our national issues and the need to get the job done, youths of this country must end their gullibility and begin to ask critical questions that will bring emphasis to the context of competence as against the prism of religion and tribe.
This is a season for bold decisions and courageous action. Subnational and regional leaders will learn from the examples of the President and bring an end to the oftentimes hostile behaviour of accessorial consideration in logic of national and regional dialogue.
Ribadu at the helm of Nigeria’s intelligence must be a shining example, driving waves of intelligence to confront the critical needs of the country at this season we are faced with multidimensional issues and challenges of insecurity.
SB E-news.
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