Major Mustapha Jokolo, former ADC to President Muhammadu Buhari when he was military head of state, has reacted to the altercation between the chief of staff to the president, Mr. Abba Kyari and the national security adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno saying Buhari tends to recognize Kyari as deputy president.
Speaking on a radio programme monitored in Kaduna, Jokolo who was former Emir of Gwandu, explained that when Buahri directed that everything should be done through his chief of staff, he had indirectly given him (chief of staff) unlimited powers.
Jokolo who called for the sack of Kyari and Monguno said: “The misunderstanding between them was borne out of greed, selfishness if not, these two are brothers.
“They are all Muslims and from the same tribe. President Buhari had brought them to assist him in different roles, why then should there be any conflict of roles?”
“Truly, General Monguno had complained, but he did not refer his complaints to the right persons. He should have written directly to President Buhari, on how he felt about his Chief of Staff. This is because Buhari tends to recognize his chief of staff as his deputy president.
“Buhari had said everything should be done through the chief of staff, this implied that Buhari has given him limitless power and he can do anything. But this is a misnomer.”
He said the quarrel among officers holding sensitive offices had never happened during their military regime because they respected each other’s roles and avoided overlaps.
He reminded the president, Monguno and Kyari that unless they toe the line of the Nigerian public, “Almighty Allah is watching them because Nigeria is greater than any individual.”
Jokolo who expressed sadness over the crisis in the presidency also called on the president to relieve the service chiefs of their appointments.
He said Nigerians were not happy with the service chiefs and they should have been removed and much better ones appointed.
“In a saner clime, all the service chiefs would have been sacked also because public outcry was against them coupled with an increasingly deteriorating security situation,” he added.
