Northern Elders Seek Explanation To Gusau’s Rumoured Resignation

          

The Northern Elders’ Forum in Nigeria on Friday asked the presidency to properly explain what led to the rumoured resignation of the Minister of Defence, General Aliyu Gusau (Rtd).
The call is coming two days after a rumour published by online news media that the Minister had resigned after a meeting he scheduled to hold with the Service Chiefs, failed to hold because the Service Chiefs did not show up.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, elder statesman and Deputy Leader of the Forum, Dr Paul Unongo, insisted that constitutionally, members of the military and security agencies were subordinates to any civilian authority.
“The Service Chiefs have no explanation for refusing to honour the minister’s invitation for a meeting. The role of the military is clear and it is subordinated to the administrative directive of a civilian government.
“If it is true that they refused to attend the meeting, it is not done in the armed forces. If he is not capable of summoning the Army, how can he summon the police where his immediate colleagues in the Army have refused to attend the meeting he called?
“If he resigned, I support him because if I were there one, I would have resigned,” Dr Unongo stated.
He further called on the government to give a proper explanation to address the issue.