New Defence Minister: Jonathan Focuses On Ogomudia, Dike
Written by Chris Agbambu, Abuja
Saturday, June 30, 2012


THE names of two former military chiefs: General Alexander Ogomudia and Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, have surfaced as Nigerians await the Federal Government on its choice as the next Minister of Defence.







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Dr. Bello Mohammed Haliru was relived of the post penultimate Friday by President Goodluck Jonathan, alongside the National Security Adviser, Major General Patrick Aziza.


While Colonel Sambo Dasuki [retd], was announced as Aziza's replacement as NSA, the Presidency was kept the public guessing on the likely successor of Bello.


Saturday Tribune that though the president was reportedly not in haste to make the final choice, some interest groups were said to be lobbying that a particular political zone produced the next defence minister.


The source claimed that because of the sensitive nature of the defence sector, the president reportedly, favoured a military technocrat heading the ministry, instead of a politician again.


Towards this end, the names of the two retired senior military officers from the South-South were being touted by some high level quarters and influential groups in the polity.


Ogomudia is a former Chief of Defence Staff, a similar post once occupied by Dike, who was also the first Air Force officer to attain the rank of an Air Chief Marshal.

It was learnt that the chances of the position of defence minister going to the Northern part of the country were remote because of what the source described as the need for balancing in the distribution of power at the centre.


According to the source, the appointment of Dasuki, the former Aide De Camp [ADC] to former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida may have disqualified it [the North] from retaining the ministerial portfolio.


The source claimed that, at the initial stage, the name of a former NSA, Gen. Aliyu Gusau featured prominently following Aziza's sudden removal, but that it became clear that it would be politically unwise to favour a section of the country with key appointments into the top echelon of the nation's security network.


The Acting Inspector General of Police, M.D. Abubakar is also from the North.


Meanwhile, the military was equally said to prefer one of its retired senior officers to man the ministry.



http://odili.net/news/source/2012/jun/30/610.html

Saturday, June 30, 2012
North to build on top security positions

by Niyi Odebode and Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja


The current insecurity challenges in Nigeria might be playing into the hands of desperate Northern politicians who are eager to exploit the situation to win back the Presidency from Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.


President Goodluck Jonathan



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SATURDAY PUNCH investigations on Friday showed that top politicians of Northern origin are scheming to build on the appointment of Sokoto State-born Sambo Dasuki as the new National Security Adviser to perfect their plan to get one of their own back as the President in 2015.


Dasuki had replaced Gen. Owoye Azazi, who was relieved of the NSA job by the President penultimate Friday.


It was gathered that the unending Boko Haram crisis was one of the factors that made Jonathan to pick a northerner as NSA.


Jonathan had, during a Presidential Media Chat on the Nigerian Television Authority last Sunday, linked the removal of the NSA and the Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, to the Boko Haram crisis, which is currently affecting the North.


He had stated, "But if you look at the evolution of Boko Haram, they have changed their tactics. The interest of terrorists is to destabilise the government. If they use one thing, it doesn't work; they want to use another thing.


"So, you too will begin to change your personnel, change your style (and) change your strategy."


It was learnt that the North had begun moves to clinch more security positions, which would place it in a better position to return to the Presidency in 2015.


A prominent northern leader told our correspondents that the feeling in some circles in the North was that the Boko Haram problem would subside if the Presidency returned to the region.


He said, "The unabating attacks by Boko Haram made the President to bow to pressure and sack Azazi, who is from the South-South and appoint Dasuki.


"The thinking of the President is that a Northerner may be able to solve the problem since it is restricted to the region.


"Those who are also using the crisis as a bargaining tool feel that a Northern President would be able to solve the problem."


It was gathered that with the likelihood of President dropping some service chiefs, the far North was making discreet moves to get some of the positions.


Besides the new NSA, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ola Ibrahim; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Mohammed Umar, and the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, are from the North.


The Northern leader, said that prominent politicians from the far North felt that whoever controlled the security agencies was more likely to get the Presidency.


Investigations showed that two retired generals from the North had a hand in the choice of Dasuki as the NSA.


A South-South leader said that the concern of the people from the region was the closeness of the new NSA to some retired generals.


He stated, "One of them is his in-law, while he worked with the other as aide de camp. These generals can be influencing the Presidency by proxy.


"All this will tell in the security advice that will be given to the President in the build-up to the 2015 polls. They may come out to say that it is not advisable for Jonathan to contest the Presidency."


He stated that some retired generals were behind the efforts of the far North to win back the Presidency.


The South-South leader said the claim that the appointment of the NSA and security chiefs from the North would put an end to Boko Haram would soon be proved wrong.


He said, "We are waiting to see whether the new NSA will end Boko Haram. If that happens, everybody will be happy. But I doubt if this will happen.


"The use of Boko Haram as a bargaining tool for the Presidency is also wrong. We feel uncomfortable that the President appointed a person who is close to people eyeing the Presidency as NSA. We pray that these people will not work against him."


Investigations showed that the South and the Middle Belt are aware of discreet moves by leaders from the North to capitalise on the security situation in the country to achieve their presidential ambition in 2015.


But it was learnt that the two regions were banking on an alliance to counter the efforts of the Northern power brokers.


The South-South leader, who confided in our correspondents, said that based on current political calculations, the North could not win the Presidency single-handedly.


He stated, "Politicians from the far North eyeing the Presidency must make an inroads into the South and the Middle Belt.


"You will recall that the Congress for Progressive Change's presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), lost the 2011 presidential poll despite winning many states in the far North.


"This is to tell you that no zone can do without the other. The earlier the far North realises this, the better."


The top politician noted that the bombings by Boko Haram had wrongly or rightly created the impression that the activities of the group were sponsored by some politicians in the North against the Jonathan Presidency.


He stated, "This has distanced the far North from other parts of the country, who see the situation as the common problem of the country.


"This has provided a fertile ground for an alliance between the South and the Middle Belt to counter the moves of the far North."


http://odili.net/news/source/2012/jun/30/833.html