PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan may have begun the
search for a new and acceptable head of the
National Intelligence Agency (NIA), as an air of
anxiety and relief already pervades its national
headquarters in Abuja ahead of next week’s exit of
the Director-General (DG), Ambassador Ezekiel
Oladeji.
The Guardian learnt that Oladeji’s seat would
become vacant on Monday, thereby creating a
leadership vacuum in the agency saddled with
overseeing foreign intelligence and counter-
intelligence operations, being one of the nation’s
very strategic security agencies.
The outgoing DG’s tenure was dogged by a string of
controversies, including claims that he spent three
and a half years beyond his tenure, nepotism, and
alleged persecution of perceived subordinates
believed to be opposed to his alleged illegal tenure,
among others.
According to NIA sources, Oladeji ought to have
retired on March10, 2010, when he clocked the
mandatory retirement age of 60, but did not,
apparently with backing from powerful people in the
Presidency.
Similar violations were recorded at the Universal
Basic Education Commission (UBEC), where the
immediate past Executive Secretary, Dr.
Mohammed Modibbo Mohammed, overstayed his
tenure at the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) by
18 months.
However, Modibbo was in August 2007
“redeployed” to UBEC to displace the commission’s
boss, Dr. Lami Amodu, who had spent only four
months out of a five-year tenure. Like Modibbo, the
NIA DG is alleged to have spent the remainder of
his extended stay at NIA “doing a lot of fighting
against perceived enemies,” according to a reliable.
Last year, a Deputy High Commissioner to the
United Kingdom, Ambassador D.C.B. Nwanna sued
the NIA boss at the National Industrial Court,
challenging his purported retirement by the latter.
Nwanna had been redeployed from his UK posting,
only to be barred by NIA security men from entering
his office in Abuja or any NIA facility, allegedly on
the DG’s orders.
The judge handling Nwanna’s case, Justice Maureen
Esowe, reportedly wept in the open court last
November over allegations of bias brought against
her by the NIA boss; he had reportedly petitioned
the President of the Industrial Court, alleging that
Justice Esowe favoured Nwanna not on points of law
but largely because he was of the same tribe as the
judge.
However, in a similar development, a group of
serving NIA officers recently petitioned President
Goodluck Jonathan alleging that the ‘DG’s action or
inaction’ “adversely affected espirit de corps in the
agency.” It was also learnt that the officers told
Jonathan that their boss allegedly took certain
decisions that compromised the “security cover” of
NIA operatives in foreign missions.
“This singular act has more than anything else
exposed all NIA operatives to even the local staff
(who are assumed to be spies themselves), since
they have access to the list of all our operatives all
over the world and are likely to apply it against the
legitimate interest of Nigeria and hurt the Federal
Government in a most terrible way,” the officers
alleged.
They further accused the DG of “undue” favouritism
in the recommendation of officers to be promoted,
citing the last promotion interview for GL 16 to GL
17. According to them, out of 50 officers who sat for
the exams, only 14 passed, with half of that number
coming from the DG’s part of the country, including
three officers who were allegedly confirmed to have
failed but were promoted. This has generated a lot
furor in the service, with from very senior officers
insisting that the exercise was not transparent.

www.ngrguardiannews.com/national-news/135324-jonathan-shops-for-new-nia-boss-as-oladeji-quits-next-week

this country is seriously messed up, imagine playing politics with intelligence agents.

Religion and tribalism is killing us faster than ever imagined,we need to abolish state of origin and religious affiliation from our day to day dealings it divides us more than it unites us as a nation.

Ethnicism $ Nepotism.

Nigeria sha!
Tomorrow, if any court's ruling doesn't favor me , the next line of action would be to blackmail the judge, and raise fresh accusations of favouritism against her (even though that's why I'm in court in the first instance). Inundated by my propaganda, may be she'll break down and cry.

Oladeji of the sophisticated tribe of Nigeria, I dey see ya sophistication ojare!

He should be retired unceremoniously if indeed he is found culpable.
He should be kicked out to serve as a deterrent to others.
Imagine playing the ethnic card with national espionage and intelligence.
I hope this matter won't die.

Make em check shoprite

Where in Nigeria was there ever a fair way of doing things?

Wasn't the minister of aviation accused of the same ethnicity crimes?

Even if they weren't true, the other ethnic group will see it so!

Make we break..abeg!

Am not surprise, southwest and tribalism

pistol: He should be retired unceremoniously if indeed he is found culpable.
He should be kicked out to serve as a deterrent to others.
Imagine playing the ethnic card with national espionage and intelligence.
I hope this matter won't die.

lol.. Are you a learner? This is Nigeria.. Don't be surprised if he is given another juicy appointment after this.

Likely going to be Alh Asari Dokubo or Henry Okah, the great freedom fighter!

Presido's decision will never surprise me

This one that "security cover" is being compromised, make una no allow nations that our operatives are gathering intelligence on start wahala oh! This boko haram menance has taken a good part of our military, war with any nation no matter how small at this moment is not and option.

let the man retire if he so wishes, that is their game played at his very face, his tribe is the most tribalistic that I have come to know, the west taught Nigerians how to play the tribal game.....so he should suck it

Yoruba and tribalism or better placed yoruba and mischeviousness, is unimaginable. It is like fish and water relationship and this is D foundation of corruption. U put them in an office they end up chasing u out and fill D whole place with their ppl.

Messi j: Yoruba and tribalism or better placed yoruba and mischeviousness, is unimaginable. It is like fish and water relationship and this is D foundation of corruption. U put them in an office they end up chasing u out and fill D whole place with their ppl.

Hopeless ibo boy, it seems you have memory problem. Have you forgotten what happened in Immigration? Was she fired or retired? I am waiting for your answer. Omo iran kiran.