With Nigeria’s current National Security Council, no peace guaranteed – retired military chief

A former Military Administrator has rubbished the national security effort of the federal government because the composition of its security council is largely skewed.

Retired Navy Commodore Kayode Olofinmoyin said the configuration favors the northern part of the country, and that is why kidnapping, killing, and insurgency persisit.

“We are practising the Presidential system of government which promotes equality and the rule of law. But if you don’t guarantee equality like we don’t in Nigeria, you cannot have peace, you cannot have progress and you cannot develop,” he said.

The former military administrator of Ogun said this while commenting on the topic of the 2021 Leaders’ News House Peace, Unity, and Security Lecture Series during the week at ECOWAS House, Asokoro, Abuja.

According to him, it is unhealthy for national unity and peace when nine out of the 11 members of the National Security Council are from the northern part of the country.

“Let me go straight away to address Mr. President. People have said with the political inequality as it is in Nigeria today, you cannot have peace. I cannot have trust in the government,”Olofinmoyin said.

Nigeria’s National Security Council comprises Olofinmoyin said the majority of the members of the security councils, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen Bashir Magashi (rtd); the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen Attahiru Ibrahim; the Director-General, Department of State Services.

Others are Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi; the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; the Chief of Navy Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo; and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.

“I am telling you as a practitioner, a former governor of a state, a General, and I am 70 years old, when you go to such a meeting, those two southerners are just there as onlookers. Who is going to believe in the outcome of such a security meeting and you say it is national,” Olofinmoyin said

The forum was chaired by former Governor  Boni Haruna.

In spite of the lopsided configuration of the council, the northern part of Nigeria has been reeling in all kinds of insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, and farmer-herder violence.

These are however spilling over to the south of the country.