By Ihuoma Chiedozie   Tuesday, 5 Oct 2010

 

 

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, named former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Andrew Azazi (retd.), as the National Security Adviser.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ima Niboro, said the appointment was with immediate effect.

Azazi takes over from Col. Kayode Are (retd.), who has been acting as the NSA since the resignation of the former occupant of the post, Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau (retd.) on Monday, September 20, 2010.

Gusau resigned to contest the Peoples Democratic Party’s primaries for the 2011 poll.

The statement which announced Azazi’s appointment read, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has appointed General Andrew Owoye Azazi as National Security Adviser.

“Gen. Azazi takes over from Col. Kayode Are (rtd), who until now was the acting NSA.

“Azazi joins the Jonathan administration from a rich and illustrious career in the military. Commissioned into the army as a military intelligence officer, he rose to the position of Director of Military Intelligence (DMI).

“He was thereafter appointed as General Officer Commanding 1 Infantry Division, from where he was appointed as Chief of Army Staff.

“Gen. Azazi rose to become Chief of Defence Staff, and retired meritoriously on the 28th of August, 2008.

“The President thanked the outgoing NSA for his services, and wished him well in his future endeavours”.

The development brought to two the number of substantive appointments made by Jonathan into the office of the NSA in 2010.

Jonathan had, as Acting President, on March 8, 2010, appointed Gusau as NSA in place of Gen. Sarki Mukhtar (rtd).

Gusau had previously served as the NSA during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

Our correspondent gathered that Azazi’s appointment was part of the measures being put in place by the President to overhaul the country’s security system in the face of new challenges, especially following the bomb blasts near the Eagle Square during the celebration of Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary last Friday.

About 14 people died in the bomb incident, while scores were injured.

A source in the Presidency informed our correspondent that Azazi, who hails from Bayelsa State, would henceforth coordinate ongoing efforts at unraveling the Golden Jubilee bombings, particularly the moves by the government to bring the perpetrators to book.

 

Source: The Punch