National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki

By Muhammad Bello

Issues bordering on global, transnational and internal security were top on the agenda of the meeting of the National Council of State (NCS) held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja Thursday.

In attendance for the deliberation were former presidents of the country, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, top members of the judiciary and governors.

Also discussed at the meeting were the issues of the 2012 National Honours List and the review of the 1999 Constitution on which a presentation was made by Justice Alfa Belgore who was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Review of Outstanding Constitutional Issues, which report was submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday.

The protracted crises in Plateau Stat was deliberated upon vis-à-vis the crises in Mali and the snowball effect it is likely to have on the activities of terrorists in Nigeria.

Although no official briefing was given at the end of the meeting, it was gathered that the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki briefed the Council on what a source described as: “national security, especially the situation on the Plateau, the situation in Mali and its implications on national security.”

Governors too were said to have issued a communique but State House correspondents could not  lay they hands on it.

And no governor spoke to journalists.

Earlier this year Mali, hitherto one of West Africa’s most stable democracies, became engulfed in fratricidal conflict spearheaded by an ensemble of coup plotters thus paving the way for the emergence of armed groups who seized the vast northern area of the country. The insurgents, ab initio spearheaded by Tuareg rebels, have over the period the conflict has lasted been pushed back by Islamist fighters linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

They have now subdued the government in the control of key northern cities.

It is believed that their aim is to fly the flag of hard-line Islamism by enforcing Sharia implementation.

They have, in defiance to global outcry, embarked on massive destruction of all ancient cultural treasures which they consider idolatrous.

The degeneration of the crises has prompted the United States to initiate a $10million Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to respond to the crisis surrounding the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled Mali or are displaced within the country.

The US has expressed its support for the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its mediation efforts to handle the situation and has assured of continued consultation with ECOWAS and other regional stakeholders on the best way to facilitate the political transition and restore peace and security across Mali. 

Presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, the NCS meeting was attended by Vice President, Namadi Sambo, three former Heads of State, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief Ernest Shonekan and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Senate President, David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, governors of the 36 states of the federation and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Also in attendance were the, former Chief Justices of the Federation, Mohammed Uwais and Alfa Belgore, the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Muhammad Bello Adoke.

-ThisDay

Posted by admin on Jul 13 2012. Filed under Africa & World Politics, Latest Politics, Plateau, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry