Abati: I thought I could rattle Tinubu during media chat — but he knows what he’s doing

By Soonest Nathaniel

A former Chief of Defence Research and Development, Major General Henry Ayoola is of the opinion that President Bola Tinubu has performed excellently within his first three weeks in office.

Maj-Gen Ayoola stated this on Wednesday when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“we must give it to our president, asides from the balance, apart from the zonal and regional balance that we see, the quality of the officers is a testimony to what must have gone behind in thinking out and arriving at this list.

“It’s a kudos to our president,” Maj-Gen Ayoola said.

He further asserted that there is no issue in Tinubu elevating Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to the position of National Security Adviser (NSA).

While giving a brief history on the creation of the NSA position, MAJ-Gen Ayoola stressed that the position has got nothing to do with the hierarchy of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

He explained the confusion some Nigerians have with the NSA position is unnecessary in that the role is clearly defined. Reeling out the constitutional Duties of the NSA, Ayoola stated that the NSA position is a clearing house where intelligence are brought in, collated and integrated to create a national intelligence estimate with which to brief the president.

According to him, the NSA is to gather information from three main agencies including – Defence Intelligence Agenncy (DIA), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the SSS or the Department of State Services (DSS); a role which he believes Ribadu can play comfortably without being a member of the Nigerian Military.

He emphasized that the NSA does not have administrative authority over the three agencies, but only coordinates their intelligence operations as to ensure that they do not work cross-purpose. (Channels TV)