Following the ongoing controversy surrounding the recent appointment of the new Director General, Department of State Security Service (DSSS), a human rights activist and Chairman, Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State(CSCEO),Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to remove the newly appointed boss of the State Security Service(SSS),Alahji Lawal Daura.
He declared that Daura was loyalist of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) and President Buhari as intelligent officer of Buhari’s Presidential campaign organisation, describing the appointment as bias and unacceptable which was not in line with the spirit of fairness and justice.
Comrade Sulaiman who doubles as Executive Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), also alleged that President Buhari with the aid of leadership of his political party, All Progressives Congress (APC) had concluded arrangement to be appointing the strong members of the ruling party (APC) into the strategic and professional position in the country, including Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) because of 2018 governorship elections and 2019 general elections respectively, alleging that, former controversial Osun State INEC boss and immediate past Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Rufus Akeju would soon be named as Zonal Commissioner of the Commission, as part of the effort of the APC leadership,particularly,Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to compensate Akeju for job well done for the ruling party during the last governorship elections in Osun and Oyo States respectively.
Reacting on the controversy surrounding Daura’s appointment as new Director-General, State Security Service boss, through a statement issued and signed by Comrade Sulaiman which a copy was made available to newsmen at the weekend, maintained that Daura would be biased in discharging of his duties and Daura’s appointment was not in tandem with the unity and oneness of the country, enjoying Daura to reject the appointment which the work to do for the ruling party has been predetermined by those who appointed him.
Rights activist however stated that there was no way Presidency and the ruling party (APC) could distance Alhaji Daura from being the strong member of APC and it would affect his sense of action in discharging of his duties in such strategic position as it might spell doom for country security outfit because of the fragile political nature of the nation.
According to CSCEO boss;”Anybody that is seeking equity must come with clean hands. If we are condemning the previous administrations with their impunity, the new administration should not follow the same path so as to avoid being having the same result at the end of the day.
Politicization of such strategic security outfit(SSS) will not augur well for the country that is battling security challenges across the
country and Alhaji Lawal Daura’s appointment will erode the respected security agency its needed credibility before the Nigerian people and General Buhari(rtd) should rescind his decision now by appointing new person that devoid of political affinity but thorough bred security expert that will uplift the Department State Security Service to an enviable height which Nigerians can repose their confidence.
“Buhari should not lay bad precedent in the country because it will be unhelpful to grow our strategic institutions like State Security
Services (SSS).The Security outfit (DSSS) is a serious and professional organization that is not to be exposed to the vagaries of
Nigeria politics. No amount of defence from ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) can distance Alhaji Daura as ruling party member with heaps of evidences in the media and by extension, in the public. Every Nigeria believes and accepts that Alhaji Lawal Daura is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and he cannot do the security job professionally without his party (APC) influence. I will like to recall that during our peaceful emancipation rally in Osun State recently which APC thugs, popularly known as “State Boys” disrupted and men of the State Security Service (SSS) were watching with keen interest to allow the political thugs to have the field day because the thugs were sent by ruling APC leaders in Osun State where several retirees were seriously injured”.
While urging President Buhari to rescind his decision on Daura for the credibility of the State Security Services(SSS), Sulaiman stressed that nepotism and favouritism in appointing into such strategic position would not augur well for the administration that promised Nigerians during electioneering campaign the total change of the country without fear or favour.
He therefore called for immediate removal of Lawal Daura as Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) in respect to the sanctity of justice and credibility, noting that failure to remove Daura as SSS boss would portray the nation security outfit as an outfit to witch-hunt the perceived political enemies and this development would erode its credibility in the committee of nations’ security apparatus.
