“National Security in Peril! NOSACOF Warns President Tinubu: ‘Don’t Greenlight NSA Restructuring Bill!'”

By Helen Helen Udoh,Outlook Media ABUJA.

Amidst the fervent calls for the restructuring of the National Security Adviser’s (NSA) office, the Non State Actors Consultative Forum (NOSACOF) issues a stark warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him not to yield to the desires of a select few pushing their personal and political agendas.

A Bill seeking to overhaul the NSA’s office is currently navigating through the corridors of the National Assembly, with some members advocating for sweeping changes that would grant the NSA unprecedented autonomy in recruiting and establishing its own staff, akin to existing government agencies and parastatals.

In a chilling letter dated January 9, 2024, NOSACOF’s Conyner Abdulrazaq Alkali draws President Tinubu’s attention to the potential security risks inherent in endorsing the restructuring of the NSA. Alarming language permeates the missive, asserting that the proposed Bill could set a dangerous precedent, necessitating a comprehensive overhaul of the NSA’s infrastructure to align with constitutional provisions.

The letter warns of the grave consequences of transforming the NSA into an agency with unchecked privileges over existing intelligence bodies such as the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Department of State Service (DSS), and the Military. NOSACOF predicts that this move could spawn confusion, rivalry, and a lack of synergy among these security agencies, jeopardizing the nation’s safety.

Highlighting the NSA’s pivotal role in fostering cooperation among security agencies, NOSACOF underscores the current system’s success, which relies on staff and collaborations drawn from diverse security agencies. The Forum argues that converting the NSA into an independent agency with recruitment powers would diminish operational efficiency and lead to a costly and time-consuming process of training staff to requisite competency levels.

Emphatically, NOSACOF’s Convener stresses the risk of politicizing the NSA through biased and unjustified recruitments, a perilous path that could compromise national security. As the ominous specter of potential pitfalls looms large, the Forum implores President Tinubu to safeguard the integrity of the NSA and resist the allure of restructuring that could imperil the nation’s safety net.