The Mamman Daura template on new CoS

With public suspense on the likely choice of President Muhammadu Buhari as new Chief of Staff (CoF), KUNLE ODEREMI interrogates some developments trailing the vacuum created by the demise of the late CoS, Mallam Abba Kyari.

AS the citizens await a replacement for the late Chief Security Officer (CoS) to President, Mallam Abba Kyari, many are engrossed in discussions on his place in the political history of the country. His tenure from 2015 till he battled COVID-19, last week, to no avail remains a subject of scrutiny and debate.

Previous occupants of the office included Chief Gbolade Osinowo; Chief Jones Oladeinde Arogbofa and Chief Mike Oghiadomhe. But never has the personality that occupied that office since 1999 come under so much public searchlight as the late Kyari, with his confidants, friends and allies exhibiting uncommon passion, affinity and emotion on his life and times as a CoS.  However, the tribute by a nephew of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Mamman Daura is, arguably, most enamouring in the seamless acknowledgements of the place of Kyari in governance and human relations.

A remarkable submission made by Daura on the earthly sojourn of the Borno State-born Kyari is that he raised the bar on the status and credentials of whoever must succeed him as CoS. Without mincing words, Daura asserted that Kyari stood shoulder high above all the present crop of appointive public officials in the Buhari administration. Having been friends for decades, 68-year-old Daura is convinced that he is in the best position to affirm the superiority of Kyari in intellect and profundity in statecraft over and above all the ministers and presidential aides.  According to Daura, “Despite holding firm views, his advice to the president was dispassionate, even- handed and did not hide unpleasant facts, in the best traditions of public service. In point of intellect, he stood above all ministers and special advisers in this government. But personally he was modest, ever willing to learn, ever willing to help others.”

The summation of the president’s nephew is that Kyari has set a standard of behaviour, credentials and quality of persons that should henceforth occupy the office of CoS. Kyari, he said, was endowed with “mountainous gifts and uncommon attributes of intelligence, diligence, hard work, loyalty to friends and worthy causes.” Accordingly, Daura said, “All future Chiefs of Staff will henceforth be judged by the benchmark of Mallam Abba Kyari.”

From the conclusion of Daura, there is already a template to determine whoever must step into the shoe of Kyari. The Kyari benchmark came in earnest; because, in the midst of the mourning of the CoS were reports of subtle moves and lobbying by groups and individuals to influence the process or show case their ‘candidates’ for the office. Many names were bandied around, including prominent politicians and retired military officer as possible replacement for Kyari. Some former members of the National Assembly showcased one individual who they asserted was savvy, had the pedigree and competence to fit into the position of CoS. Acting under aegis of the League of former Parliamentarians (LFP), they believed Senator Abba Ali possessed all the necessary credentials as replacement for Kyari. A stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the South-South geopolitical zone, Chief Richard Kpodoh, had a choice in Alhaji Abdulrahaman Abdallah  from Katsina State based on perceived loyalty, commitment and dedication in public service.

Initial speculation included the name of a former Minister of Water Resources in the defunct Second Republic and member of the 1994-1995 Constitutional Conference, Alhaji Isa   Funtua. But he quickly dispelled the speculations, saying: “I am an employer of labour and, therefore, unemployable. I was a minister in 1983. What position will I be interested in now?” Other touted names are a former national chairman of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the aborted Third Republic, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe; ex-military governor of Lagos State, Mohammed BubaMarwa, who hails from Adamawa State; the current Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Colonel Hameed Ali (retd).

The APC leadership declared it had no role to play in determing the successor to Kyari since the appointment fell within the prerogative powers of the president. “It is the president who knows what he wants from the person he wants to appoint, so it does not concern anybody or the party. The president has idea of what he wants from his Chief of Staff and he understands the kind of person that can deliver to him,” the APC stated.

On his part, the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who said Kyari was a source of inspiration whose death had created a huge vacuum, wished Mr President would “get somebody who can fill in this vacuum.” The national coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance (CAGG), Mr Olusegun Bamgbose, believes the president needs to be painstaking in appointing a new CoS because “It is a critical appointment.”

With what is now generally referred to as the Daura template, do any of the touted names so far come near the position? Knowing that whoever emerges as CoS is a prerogative of Mr President, could Daura be speaking the mind of the president, who had in his tributes to Kyari, generously acknowledged what he considered as the great virtues of the man: loyalty, integrity and patriotism? Other teasers bother on the general inference of Daura on the competence of other top functionaries in the Buhari administration, which has stirred comments from many quarters and raised posers. Some of the teasers bother on his verdict on the ministers and others does not bother on perceived arrogance and fallacy of generation on the competency, integrity and intellectual capacity of the said functionaries. If his statement does not amount to a slight on the part of the cabinet members, given their wealth of experience and professional backgrounds; if they could not have thrown in the towel in the face of such verdict of incompetence in saner climes. The other posers are: how proper is it for Daura to arrogate to himself the authority to assess and rate the ministers and other presidential aides; does it mean he has certain scores to settle with virtually all the other cabinet members?

Reading Mr President’s lips at this time on the issue of a new CoS may be pretty difficult. Aside the precarious state of the economy due to the catastrophic fall in oil price, the president is had pressed by the battle to rout COVID-19 ravaging the country. Nonetheless, pundits believe Buhari has two options on the issue of new CoS: to spring a surprise by going for a relatively less politically exposed personality or to acquiesce to a preferred choice of the famed members of his kitchen cabinet, often called the cabals.

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