Defence Minister, Aliyu Gusau, asks Jonathan to
call ‘rude’ military chiefs to order
Ini Ekott - 16 mins ago
NATIONAL, NEWS
His powers challenged by military commanders he
believed he was appointed to supervise, Nigeria’s
Defence minister, Aliyu Gusau, on Tuesday sent a
letter to President Goodluck Jonathan threatening
to quit if the Commander-in-Chief failed to rein in
chiefs of defence, army, navy and airforce,
according to new details of a row that climaxed
Wednesday in a dramatic resignation claim.
In the letter, Mr. Gusau accused the chief of
defence staff, Air Vice Marshal Alex Badeh, of being
“rude”, officials knowledgeable about the
communication said.
Mr. Gusau and the presidency have denied the
minister was leaving office barely a week after he
was appointed as part of Mr. Jonathan’s new effort
at curbing a bloody insurgency by the extremist
Boko Haram sect.
Earlier reports said the minister submitted a
resignation letter citing insubordination after Air
Chief Marshal Badeh disparaged Mr. Gusau and the
minister of state for defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, for
criticizing his failure to arrange a meeting between
the new ministers and the service chiefs.
But several officials who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES
narrated a troubling power tussle between the
ministers and service chiefs with far-reaching
implications on the administration’s war against
Boko Haram which the government has largely
failed to stem.
Government insiders 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 officials said since his swearing-in, Mr. Gusau
made repeated efforts for a meeting with the
service chiefs, but failed to secure one.
When AVM Badeh met with Mr. Gusau on Monday,
he explained that the minister lacked the powers to
summon the service chiefs to meetings without his
(Badeh’s) knowledge.
Mr. Badeh 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 same through the office of
the defence chief.
Under the Nigerian constitution, and the Armed
Forces Act, Mr. Badeh explained, only the
president has the powers to so direct the service
chiefs as Mr. Gusau, a retired soldier, sought to
do. Even so, he added, the president, with all his
powers, hardly breaches the chain of command.
Largely, Mr. Badeh was right. Under Section 217 of
the constitution, and Section 7 of the Armed Forces
Act, only the president has such powers. Were he
to delegate them, the minister of defence, is not
included in the chain of command.
Still, a potentially contentious subject, analysts
also point to the constitutional provision allowing
the president to delegate his powers to the
ministers.
Officials said those were the explanations Mr.
Badeh gave, which infuriated the minister.
After sending a letter of complaint to the President
on Tuesday, Mr. Gusau failed to show up on
Wednesday at the Federal Executive Council
meeting, triggering speculations he had quit the
cabinet in anger.
Presidency sources said Mr. Jonathan is working
to resolve the crisis and has tapped the National
Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, President of the
Senate, David Mark and former Military President,
Ibrahim Babangida, for help.