The sack of Babagana Monguno as the National Security Adviser (NSA) has been greeted with widespread excitement, especially among some security experts and scholars.
Monguno was relieved of his duty on Monday by President Bola Tinubu alongside the service chiefs.
After eight years as NSA, Mr Usman Garba who holds a doctorate in intelligence and security studies, said Monguno overstayed on the job and his sack was long overdue.
According to him, the former NSA played an adverse role in the current security situation and offered little to remedy it.
“Monguno has always been influential from his days in the Nigerian Army. He was the Chief of Logistics at Defence Headquarters and later, Commander of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC),” he said.
“Monguno also served as Commander, Guards Brigade, Deputy Commandant, National Defence College, and Chief of Defence Intelligence. He also worked as Chief of Defence Intelligence and even touted attaining the position of Chief of Army Staff before his retirement in 2013.
“In 2015, he became NSA. But there’s been absolutely zero effort from him. The insecurity deteriorated further and exposed him as lacking experience in emplacing a secured Nigeria.”
A security expert, Ntiah Bassey, described the news of Monguno’s sack as relieving, adding that the former NSA was overwhelmed by the tasks.
Bassey noted that Monguno had no workable template to tame the rising insecurity ravaging northern Nigeria and President Tinubu must have noticed after meeting with him.
“The primary responsibility of the NSA, who is a statutory member of the Presidency, the National Security Council, and the Federal Executive Council (FEC), is to advise the president on matters concerning intelligence activities and make recommendations to him on issues of national security,” Bassey said.
“The roles of the NSA, as contained in the National Security Agencies Act, transcends that of the mere coordination of the three major intelligence agencies, as the establishment Act for the office empowers the Adviser to act in such other matters on security as the President and Commander-in-Chief may deem fit.
“This is a very sensitive position. No matter the efforts of the security chiefs, if the NSA is ineffective then it is a mission in futility. In the last eight years, unfortunately, this was the case with Monguno clueless.”
Dr Babatunde Akinyemi, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies said Monguno should have been axed when he said “people are getting tired and are beginning to gravitate to self-help.”
He said that an unguided statement in the public domain sums up Monguno’s tenure as NSA.
“Monguno failed to galvanise the nation’s security architecture for utilitarian benefits of Nigerians and the polity. Recall that this was President Tinubu’s first point of call when he met him,” Akinyemi said.
“He failed to prove his capacity and capabilities to handle and advise Mr. President on security matters in the most effective, seamless, and smooth operational manner. He has no record of achievement in his seven years in office.
“He lacks teamwork and has a manipulative character. Monguno was notorious for leaking memos to the media, undermining his commander-in-chief, and displaying opportunism and ambition. He was always at loggerheads with various service chiefs.”
A retired general who doesn’t want his name disclosed said what the nation needs now is a
pragmatic approach to intelligence gathering and crime-fighting.
He, therefore, advised the new NSA Nuhu Ribadu to liaise with the service chiefs and abandon the divisive tendencies exhibited by his predecessor.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Progressive Nigerian Youths (CPNY) has promised to hold a carnival at the Unity Fountain Abuja to celebrate Monguno’s sack.
According to a statement signed by its leader, Prince Ajaka Wasiu, the youths said Monguno has held the nation captive for long, hence its proposed feast.
Wasiu said over one million of its members across the country will be mobilised to Abuja for this purpose.
He added that Monguno’s tenure was the worst in the country’s history, assuring that in no distant time, Nigerians will see the difference.
While calling on the President to order a probe into Monguno’s tenure, Wasiu urged Nigerians to support the new service chiefs to succeed.
