Minister of Defence,
Aliyu Gusau, who has been enmeshed in a resignation saga, is now believed only
to have sent in a
letter to President Goodluck Jonathan threatening to quit because of alleged insubordination to him by heads of military high command.
Gusau, himself a retired Army General and one-time Chief of Army Staff, was said to have demanded from the President who is the Commander-in-Chief to rein in the Service Chiefs whom he was appointed to supervise in the first instance.
The minister’s letter followed an alleged face-off he had with the military commanders who failed to attend a meeting he summoned on assumption of office as Defence Minister last week.
In the letter to Jonathan, Gusau was said to have accused the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, an Air Vice Marshal, of being “rude” to him.
Gusau and the Presidency have had to deny that the minister has resigned barely a week after he was sworn in alongside 10 others into the President’s cabinet.
Gusau’s appointment was said to have been informed by Jonathan’s renewed efforts to curb the bloody insurgency engendered by the extremist Boko Haram Islamic sect.
Earlier reports said the minister submitted a resignation letter, citing insubordination after Badeh purportedly disparaged him and the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, for criticising his (Badeh’s) failure to arrange a meeting between them (new ministers) and the service chiefs.
But several officials who spoke on the issue, narrated a troubling power tussle between the ministers and the service chiefs with far-reaching implications on the administration’s war against Boko Haram.
Government sources said while the retired General did not expressly submit a resignation letter, he made it clear to the President he will not work with military officials he considered “insubordinate”.
The sources said since his swearing-in, Gusau made repeated efforts for a meeting with the service chiefs, but failed to secure one.
When Badeh met with Gusau on Monday, he (Badeh) was alleged to have explained that the minister lacked the powers to summon the service chiefs to meetings without his (Badeh’s) knowledge.
The Chief of Defence Staff also reportedly insisted that it was not the place of the Defence Minister to directly issue directives to the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force, without routing it through the office of the Defence Chief.
Under the 1999 Constitution as amended, and the Armed Forces Act, Badeh reportedly explained, only the President has the powers to direct the service chiefs as Gusau sought to do.
After sending his letter of complaint to the President on Tuesday, Gusau did not show up on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, triggering speculations that he had quit the cabinet.
Presidency sources said Jonathan is working to resolve the crisis and has tapped the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, Senate President, David Mark, and former military President Ibrahim Babangida for help.
Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), Itse Sagay and Ladi Rotimi- Williams, reacted to the Gusau’s resignation row on Thursday, insisting that minister has the power to summon the military commanders to meetings.
Sagay in a chat with Daily Independent said the Minister of Defence is the political boss of the service chiefs and thus has every right to summon them.
“In my layman’s view, the Minister of Defence is the boss of all the military personnel under his ministry.
“In critical times like this, if the minister who is in charge of the ministry which controls the ministry in charge of Army, Navy, Air Force cannot give instruction to the service chiefs, then it doesn’t bode well for the country,” Sagay noted.
On his part, Rotimi-Williams insisted that the minister was acting on behalf of the President and thus has every right to summon the service chiefs.
“The Minister of Defence has every right to summon the service chiefs. He is exercising that power on behalf of the president. The minister is in charge of Ministry of Defence,” he added.
letter to President Goodluck Jonathan threatening to quit because of alleged insubordination to him by heads of military high command.
Gusau, himself a retired Army General and one-time Chief of Army Staff, was said to have demanded from the President who is the Commander-in-Chief to rein in the Service Chiefs whom he was appointed to supervise in the first instance.
The minister’s letter followed an alleged face-off he had with the military commanders who failed to attend a meeting he summoned on assumption of office as Defence Minister last week.
In the letter to Jonathan, Gusau was said to have accused the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, an Air Vice Marshal, of being “rude” to him.
Gusau and the Presidency have had to deny that the minister has resigned barely a week after he was sworn in alongside 10 others into the President’s cabinet.
Gusau’s appointment was said to have been informed by Jonathan’s renewed efforts to curb the bloody insurgency engendered by the extremist Boko Haram Islamic sect.
Earlier reports said the minister submitted a resignation letter, citing insubordination after Badeh purportedly disparaged him and the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, for criticising his (Badeh’s) failure to arrange a meeting between them (new ministers) and the service chiefs.
But several officials who spoke on the issue, narrated a troubling power tussle between the ministers and the service chiefs with far-reaching implications on the administration’s war against Boko Haram.
Government sources said while the retired General did not expressly submit a resignation letter, he made it clear to the President he will not work with military officials he considered “insubordinate”.
The sources said since his swearing-in, Gusau made repeated efforts for a meeting with the service chiefs, but failed to secure one.
When Badeh met with Gusau on Monday, he (Badeh) was alleged to have explained that the minister lacked the powers to summon the service chiefs to meetings without his (Badeh’s) knowledge.
The Chief of Defence Staff also reportedly insisted that it was not the place of the Defence Minister to directly issue directives to the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force, without routing it through the office of the Defence Chief.
Under the 1999 Constitution as amended, and the Armed Forces Act, Badeh reportedly explained, only the President has the powers to direct the service chiefs as Gusau sought to do.
After sending his letter of complaint to the President on Tuesday, Gusau did not show up on Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, triggering speculations that he had quit the cabinet.
Presidency sources said Jonathan is working to resolve the crisis and has tapped the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, Senate President, David Mark, and former military President Ibrahim Babangida for help.
Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), Itse Sagay and Ladi Rotimi- Williams, reacted to the Gusau’s resignation row on Thursday, insisting that minister has the power to summon the military commanders to meetings.
Sagay in a chat with Daily Independent said the Minister of Defence is the political boss of the service chiefs and thus has every right to summon them.
“In my layman’s view, the Minister of Defence is the boss of all the military personnel under his ministry.
“In critical times like this, if the minister who is in charge of the ministry which controls the ministry in charge of Army, Navy, Air Force cannot give instruction to the service chiefs, then it doesn’t bode well for the country,” Sagay noted.
On his part, Rotimi-Williams insisted that the minister was acting on behalf of the President and thus has every right to summon the service chiefs.
“The Minister of Defence has every right to summon the service chiefs. He is exercising that power on behalf of the president. The minister is in charge of Ministry of Defence,” he added.
abeg o...dis is the last thing we want now...problem among our military...if the man can not calm down and respect the military code of conduct and our constitution they should accept his resignation o..we nor fit shout o
ReplyDeleteIs this the first time of having a minister of defence? Let things be sorted out before it escalates further. The constitution must be clear about this issue.
ReplyDeleteWhat if the minister of defence resigne, will that be the end of Nigeria? Has Goodluck not been doing without the minister of defence since he assumed office? Both Gusau and Obanikoro should rellocate 2 the war zone if they think that they re more important than the service chiefs or resigne because Gusau and Obanikoro re irrelevant at the first place
ReplyDeleteThis is an eloquent testimony that Jonathan's goverment is sinking. A president is begging a minister to serve in his goverment against his wish because he wants his goverment to be relevant .
ReplyDeleteThat shows that Jonathan isn't a proud leader by his demonstration just like the Lord Jesus did thesame by washing his disiple's (Peter) feet
DeleteVictory you are not fair to the President by concluding that his govt is sinking all because he is trying to calm the nerves of those whom he suppose in the first instance will assist in countering the insurgent. It is mere misunderstanding b/w the service chiefs and the minster, and what the president should do in this instance is finding a solution to the misunderstanding among them even if it amount to telling some faithfuls in his govt to talk to others, since this kind of misunderstanding is not healthy for the nation in such a time as this. and we need to be careful in citing who is more important and who is less important. i think they are all important and need to work together in order to achieve this common goal of success in defeating the outlawed sect.
DeleteGEJ is using the military to kill inocent citizens in the name of Boko Haram and will never want any interruption or 3rd party in his wicked secret with the military.
ReplyDeleteBoko Haram is commanded by Jonathan through the mlitary chiefs and how do u expect him to allow someone control the military chief
ReplyDeleteLet him resign and go. He is not more important than the Service Chiefs. How can he meet with Service chiefs without going through the Chief of Defence staff?
ReplyDelete