Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, has revealed that some funds approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari for the Office of the National Security Adviser were deliberately withheld by powerful interests within the Presidency.
Monguno made the disclosure in a new book titled From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, in which he reflected on his years in office and the inner workings of the Buhari administration.
According to the former NSA, although President Buhari approved funding requests critical to national security operations, not all the funds eventually reached his office. He alleged that influential individuals within the Presidency frustrated the release of the approved monies, thereby affecting the effective execution of certain security initiatives.
Monguno, who served as NSA from 2015 to 2023, noted that the challenges went beyond operational hurdles in the fight against insecurity, extending to bureaucratic and political obstacles within government circles.
The former NSA, however, maintained that President Buhari remained committed to national security and gave approvals he believed were necessary to strengthen security agencies. He suggested that the withholding of funds was not a reflection of the former president’s disposition but the actions of unnamed powerful interests.
The revelations have sparked renewed public discourse on transparency, accountability, and internal power dynamics within the Buhari administration, particularly as they relate to funding and coordination of national security efforts.
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