Azazi, defence minister sacked

By: JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja

Date:

Sat, 06/23/2012 - 22:00

A few hours after he returned from Brazil, where he attended United Nations’ Earth Summit, RIO+20, President Goodluck Jonathan figuratively came out smoking hot, as he fired the National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi and Defence Minister, Dr. Haliru Bello.
The sack of the Azazi and Bello came after Jonathan met with security chief, who briefed him on the security situation in the country, at the security council meeting yesterday. Azazi has been replaced by Sambo Dasuki, a retired Colonel with the Nigerian Army and former ADC to Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida.
The former NSA has been criticised severally for the manner security situation has been handled, at a time bomb attacks by the extremist Islamist sect, Boko Haram escalated. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, confirmed in a telephone chat but did not give details.
Earlier, during a meeting President Jonathan told his security chiefs that they must do all within their powers to stop all the killings and bombings in the country. The meeting was called within two hours after Jonathan arrived the country from Brazil. A close source said the meeting was a heated one as Jonathan expressed anger on the security situation in the country and in the next three hours insisted on being brought up-to-date with the situation and why it was a Herculean task to arrest the embarrassing situation.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents, the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Caleb Olubolade, after the meeting that ended late in the evening, said it was a usual security meeting between the President and his security chiefs.
Asked the mood of the meeting, said the president expressed his displeasure with the security situation in the country, adding: “He (Jonathan) particularly didn’t feel too well about the loss of lives. He said we need to do something proactively to stop it at all cost.”
On why the president summoned the meeting, the minister said: “It is a usual security meeting with the C-in-C to look at things in a comprehensive manner and see how the security agencies are faring. It was a useful discussion in certain areas, where we had problems, how to tackle them, how the security agencies can be more effective and the role the populace has to play in assisting in the war against terror.
“We had to reappraise the other measures we had been taking before now and look at how the populace can be carried along to get more information so that peace can return to the land. We do not really have to kill Nigerians to sustain peace. The C-in-C believes that we need to talk and do what is right to ensure that we calm the nerves and make sure that this incessant bombing are minimised. It is a source of worry to all.”
On the criticisms that trailed the president’s visit to Brazil, Olubolade said: “Nigerians will normally say what is on their minds. They have freedom of expression, but since we are all Nigerians, things should not be said to set the country aback. He (Jonathan) has a duty to perform with other nations.“He has confidence in his security apparatus and he is not unmindful of statements from opposition. But by and large, how Nigeria can be at peace is what is of utmost importance.”
Also speaking after the meeting Azazi said all the president did was to come back to the country and call his security chiefs to talk about security, even as he denied that it was an emergency meeting. On the listing of the Boko Haram leaders as terrorists, Azazi said: “That is a decision by America. It is not a decision by us. They (US) probably feel that those are the people who they need to classify as terrorists. I can’t begin to tell you what we discussed at the security meeting. But everything is under control.”