Muktar Out, Gusau In: Why Jonathan Removed Him

PHOTO: RETIRED MAJOR GENERAL ABDULLAHI SARKI MUKTAR.

San Francisco March 08, (THEWILL) – In what a Nigerian presidency source called a counter coup against the cabal hiding Nigerian sick President Umaru Yar’Adua, Major-General Abdullahi Sarki Muktar was fired late Monday from his National Security Adviser job by Nigerian Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Muktar, a strong Yar’Adua loyalist and an active member of the cabal that have so far successfully shielded information on the true state of health of President Yar’Adua was fingered in the many maneuvers of the last four months that undermined the Acting President's leadership.

The decision to remove Mukhtar was taken at the inaugural meeting of the National Security Council meeting chaired by Jonathan. The meeting, which lasted for about three and half hours had in attendance the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, the three Service Chiefs, Abdulrahman Danbazzau (Army) Oluseyi Petinri (Airforce), Ishaya Iko Ibrahim (Navy); the Director General of the State Security Services (SSS), Mr. Afakriya Gadzama; the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo; the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Babagana Mungono; Minister of Interior Alhaji Shetima Mustapha; Police Affairs Minister, Senator Ibrahim Lame; Minister of Defence Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd); Attorney General and Minister of Justice Adekotunbo Kayode (SAN); and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.

THEWILL’s investigation revealed that the Acting President had penciled the former NSA for sanctioning along with some other security chiefs for various offences deemed to have undermined the security and the stability of the Jonathan administration especially the coup-like manner in which Yar’Adua was ferried into the country without the prior knowledge of Jonathan as commander-in-chief.

Muktar’s other offences were listed as various deliberate inaccurate security reports sent to Jonathan on Yar’Adua’s current state of health, his fraternity with Turai Yar’Adua and the inaccurate news reports being planted in the media that Yar’Adua could talk and walk. Also listed are the January religious killings in Jos and the last straw was Sunday’s slaughter of more than 400 Christians in villages in Jos South Local Government Area.

His inability to take proactive steps to stall the violence even after receiving intelligence of an imminent attack from villagers and Jos residents was just inexcusable.

General Mukhtar, 60, was a former Chief of Staff of Nigeria-led ECOMOG  in the 90’s until he was sacked by General Sani Abacha because of his opposition to the detention of the Late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, President Yar’Adua’s elder brother, he was also first military administrator of Katsina State between September 1987 to July 1988 and later became military governor of Kaduna State till August 1990.

He was Nigeria’s ambassador to Russia during Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency and was appointed the National Security Adviser to President Yar’Adua after Aliyu Gusau was removed in May 2006.

It is interesting to note that General Aliyu Gasau is also replacing Muktar. This is Gusau’s third time on the job. He was NSA for about 8 years under the Ibrahim Babangida’s dictatorship and NSA under Obasanjo’s presidency.

Muktar has also served as the general officer commanding the first division, Nigerian army in Kaduna state.