Gusau Has Not Resigned – Presidency

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There was a gale of anxiety in the polity yesterday over a media report that Defence Minister, General Aliyu Gusau, had quit his less than eight days job.

Quoting several sources, an online media, said Gusau’s sudden decision to quit President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet arose from what he considered an act of insubordination and indiscipline from Nigeria’s top military brass.

According to the report, Nigeria’s top military henchmen kept the Defence minister waiting for two days after he summoned them to a meeting, with different military service chiefs making excuses for their inability to meet with him and the Minister of State (Defence), Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. Finally, the situation turned testy yesterday when, after keeping Gusau and Obanikoro waiting for several hours, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, reportedly showed up alone for the meeting.

When Gusau told Badeh that he was expecting all the chiefs of staff, the latter reportedly told him there was no need and that as CDS alone would be meeting with the minister and added that the arrangement was the collective decision of military officers in the country.

The report further claimed Badeh rudely brushed aside Obanikoro’s attempt to intervene by asking the junior minister to ‘shut up.’ “Air Marshal Badeh is said to have called Senator Obanikoro a ‘small boy’ and warned him that the military was not going to be taking orders anymore from bloody civilians like him.”

After the altercation, General Gusau reportedly ended the meeting and asked the Permanent Secretary in the ministry to transmit his letter of resignation to President Goodluck Jonathan, who was said to have immediately charged Senate President David Mark to prevail on Gusau to rescind his resignation.

The report tied Gusau’s absence at yesterday Federal Executive Council (FEC) weekly meeting of all ministers with the president to his resignation and resolve not serve in a situation where military officers would show open disdain for their civilian leaders and him an experienced retired military man.

The report spread like a wild harmattan fire yesterday, raising anxiety in the polity, which was calmed by the denial of the move by the Presidency, General Gusau and the Defence Ministry.

I’ve not resigned – Gusau

Reacting to the report, General Gusau, who was sworn-in as Defence Minister on March 5, said he has not resigned from the cabinet of the President Jonathan’s administration.

A  BBC Hausa service report monitored in Kano, quoted Gusau to have personally called the foreign media House to intimate the world that he is still in charge of the Defence ministry.

However,  the influential retired General failed to shed more light on  his  rumoured exit exacerbated by his absence at the weekly FEC meeting yesterday.

Gusau remains Defence minister  – Presidency

Dismissing the report of Gusau’s resignation as false, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, said that the General’s absence at yesterday’s meeting was with the permission of President Jonathan.

He said: “There was a report by an online medium alleging that the Minister of Defence, General Gusau, has resigned his appointment. This is to let you know that, that report is untrue. General Gusau remains in office as Minister of Defence . He was absent from the today’s Federal Executive Council meeting with the permission of the President.

“The story is not true, he remains in office. He himself has issued a statement on it but I think this further clarification is necessary before we are confronted with a situation whereby all kinds wild speculations begin to come up and the story begins to develop undesirable branches.”

…Defence Ministry concurs

In like manner, the Ministry of Defence also dismissed the reports as untrue.

In a statement by its Director of Press, Shehu Maikai, the ministry said: “Our attention have (sic) been drawn to a media posting on the social network to the effect that the Honourable Minister of Defence, Lt General Aliyu Gusau has resigned; and wish to state, categorically, that the minister has not resign (sic) his appointment. We thank all those that have called to verify the rumour and reassure you all that Lt General Aliyu Gusau remains the minister of Defence.”

The former top spy was among 11 new cabinet members sworn in last week by President Jonathan in an elaborate ceremony in Abuja to rejuvenate the federal cabinet.

Gusau, an influential retired General of the Nigerian Army had in the last 14 years of democracy in the country served two administrations as National Security Adviser (NSA) before seeking and missing the number one job in the country in 2011.