Monguno fighting reactionary forces, says top aide
By Abeek Owoseni
The National Security Adviser, (NSA) Mohammed Babagana Monguno is fighting entrenched reactionary forces in the Presidency, a top aide in the Presidency told Irohinoodua today
The source said the NSA, who is Kanuri from the North East of Nigeria, where President Mohammadu Buhari’s mother hails from, has for long been engrossed in ideological battle with people he described as “reactionary forces” bent on promoting sectional and primordial interests.
“Monguno is a fine officer. He has a distinguished career. He is well known for standing up for justice and truth. He has been fighting those forces who want to sustain a culture of impunity in Nigeria. He is not alone, there are very important people in the Presidency, men and women of conscience who support him”, the source told Irohinoodua.
The source close to the Presidency lists the key areas of disagreement between Aba Kyari and Monguno as follows:
Conflict on world views: The source said the NSA is a versatile and cosmopolitan Nigerian who has a dream of a country sustained by justice, equal right, freedom of speech and the finest democratic principles. He said on the other hand, the reactionary elements represent the old order whose dream and aspirations are to keep Nigeria in the back bench of global reckoning. The NSA is said to have a broader outlook on economy and politics, the source said adding that the NSA speaks Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Kanuri, German and French fluently. He described the Kyari group as “close-knitted, conservative, reactionary and politically brutish.”
Attempts to remove the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo. He told our correspondent “They want Prof Osinbajo out of the Presidency. This campaign is being led by the Chief of Staff, Aba Kyari and the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nassir El Rufai. The NSA does not agree with their self- serving strategy.” He said the only reason they wanted the VP removed was to wither down his influence and ensure no VP becomes so powerful as to stop their own influence in the Presidency.
The Plot against Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu: The source hinted that Aba Kyari and his group are hell bent on fighting the All Progressive Congress, (APC) National leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu. He said the only reason why they are fighting Tinubu is that the reactionary elements are opposed to his growing influence and detests a situation where anyone from the South West becomes too influential as to be able to fully control the regional political machinery.
The removal or retention of the Service Chiefs. The source said the NSA is not happy with the campaign against terrorism in the North East and the attitude of Aba Kyari and his group is that the Service Chiefs be retained. The source cites “patronage” being the only reason why Kyari and his group want the Service Chiefs to be retained. The source said Mongunu represents a fresh break from the consistent policy of intransigence and bigotry that has kept the Presidency rolling like a barber’s shop on key issues of development that keeps the country stunted.
Our correspondent could not independently confirm the position of the top aide as at the time of going to press. However, a source close to Aba Kyari who does not wish to be named told Irohinoodua that the allegations against Kyari were “tissues of imaginations that cannot be sustained by any thread of facts.” The source said the Presidency has been sustained by what he called “eggheads” like Aba Kyari saying his intervention on key national issues have saved the country on many occasions from embarrassment.
