Security agencies oppose being under Defence minister....

Jonathan

Security agencies are opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan’s proposal to make the incoming Minister of Defence a Coordinating Minister of the military and security agencies.
They said it was against the National Security Agencies Act 1986(as amended) to ask them to report to a minister, who might be a politician.
The attention of the President was being drawn to the implications of having a Coordinating Minister of Defence who might be too powerful.
The President has submitted a list of 12 would-be ministers to the Senate to replace those dropped last year.
The nominees are: former National Security Adviser General Aliyu Gusau Mohammed (Zamfara State), Nigeria former Ambassador to Ghana Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos), Hon. Mohammed Wakil (Borno), Abduljelili Oyewale Adesiyan (Osun), Ambassador Aminu Wali (Kano), Mrs. Hadjia Jemila Salik (Kano) and Mrs. Akon Etim Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom).

Others are: Laurencia Labaran Mallam (Kaduna), Dr. Tamuno W. Danagogo (Rivers), Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger), Mr. Boni Haruna (Adamawa) and Dr. Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto).
Senators have observed that nominees are greenhorns in public service.
A few of them were also alleged to be old, implicated in some corruption deals.
It was learnt that these dimensions have made Senators to resolve to put them to task on their antecedents and plans for the country because they have less than 17 months to spend in office.
It was gathered that the concerns of the Senators border on “what changes the ministers are ready to effect” within a short time in office.
Some senators were said to have been disappointed that ministers with issues had been in the cabinet.
A high-ranking Senator said: “We will subject these nominees to serious screening because they are going to serve in a transition cabinet having been nominated in an election year.
“We are no longer in the era of anything goes; we want to know what they want to do differently. If someone is already 70 or 75 years old and he wants to be a minister, we need to find out what value he intends to add to national development and how he missed the opportunity in his vibrant years.
“We have received information about some people facing corruption charges and those mentioned by Wikileaks in the past. We need to clear these grey areas.”
Another Senator said: “We are awaiting the circulation of the resume of the nominees most of whom are unknown to us. This has given us a challenge to conduct a thorough screening.
“Some of us were disappointed that those, who should really be out of the cabinet have been retained.
“On the surface, we saw the list as weak but since the nominees are unknown to most of us, they are Nigerians who might have achieved silently in their careers. We need to know them; Nigerians ought to have understanding of those who will lead them.”
An opposition Senator said: “After a long wait, the President came with a suspicious list. It appears some of them are coming into the cabinet to run political errands.
“It is not good to base cabinet selection on political sentiments because ministers serve the nation and not parties.”
Meanwhile, security agencies are opposed to plans by the President to make them and the military to report to the in-coming Minister of Defence.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The National Security Agencies Act does not mandate these agencies to report to a Minister of Defence, who most often is a politician.
“To realise the new proposal, the government would have to amend the Act or else we will be doing so illegally.
“We should also avoid the danger of a Minister of Defence becoming powerful to assume the powers of the Commander-in-Chief.”
Replying to a question, the source said: “I think the attention of the President has been drawn to the illegality of such a proposal.
“In fact, the appointment of a Coordinating Minister for the Economy is unknown to law not to talk of the Coordinating Minister of Defence. Enough of illegality.”
A copy of the National Security Agencies Act, obtained yesterday by our correspondent, reads in part: “For the purpose of co-ordinating the intelligence activities of the National Security Agencies set up under Section I of this Act, there shall be appointed by the President a Co-ordinator on National Security.
“The Co-ordinator on National Security shall be a principal staff officer in the office of the President.
“The Co-ordinator on National Security shall be charged with the duty of-
(a) advising the President on matters concerning the intelligence activities of the agencies;
(b) making recommendations in relation to the activities of the agencies to the
President, as contigencies may warrant;
(c) correlating and evaluating intelligence reports relating to the national security and providing the appropriate dissemination of such intelligence within Government, using existing facilities as the President may direct;
(d) determining the number and level of staff to be employed by each agency established pursuant to section I of this Act and organising the transfer and posting of staff, especially the transfer and posting of existing staff of the Nigerian Security Organisation established pursuant to the Nigerian Security Organisation Act 1976, repealed by section 7 (1) of this Act;
(e) doing such other things in connection with the foregoing provisions of this section as the President may, from time to time, determine.”