The appointment of Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura as the Director-General of Nigeria’s secret service, the State Security Service (SSS), by the President Muhammadu Buhari has received a major backing from ex-militants in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking with journalists in Asaba, the Delta State capital, President of the apex body of all the platforms of ex-agitators in Niger Delta region – the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators (NCNDE-A), Mr. Israel Akpodoro, lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for what he described as the preposterous hue and cry over an otherwise best appointment made so far by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the country.

The coalition noted with disdain what it called the unwarranted attacks on President Buhari and Mr Daura by the umbrella party. It said it was worried that the “sinking PDP has refused to stop harassing the sensibilities of Nigerians” as it warns of dire consequence should the PDP heats up the polity as it was its tradition throughout the five-year misrule of the country under former President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

More worrisome, Akpodoro noted, was the fact that the PDP was playing down the finesse of professional aptitude possessed by Daura as a security expert who can hold his own anywhere in the world adding that his appointment as DG of the Directorate was long overdue but for the characters who led the nation into its current state of ‘anomie’ ‎such person who possessed weird expertise were recognised.

According to him, the “failed PDP government appointed former National Security Adviser, (NSA), Muhammadu Gusau, a card carrying member of the umbrella party wondering that the APC didn’t raise any objection over his appointment owing to the fact that Gusau is a Nigerian and a reputable security wizard.”

The ex-agitators stated further that the recently retired service chiefs were all card carrying members of the then ruling party but that Nigerians didn’t see them as undeserving of their appointment, challenging the umbrella to tell Nigerians if it was wrong for a senior civil servant to belong to a political party.

NCNDE-A stated that Daura has been a career security expert who diligently pursued his job with all the zeal required without belonging to any political organisation.

Daura, according to the Coalition, was working relentlessly to cleanse the SSS of corrupt tendencies, righting the wrongs where and when necessary noting that in a few months’ time, the SSS would become a darling of all Nigerians irrespective of background, affiliation and religion.

It said: “Daura is a wizard in security matters with the finesse of security expertise in his chosen career which can’t be compared with the hordes of fortune seekers undeservedly appointed by past administrations. The DSS under him will grow better, be more productive, friendlier with the Nigerian people, more diligent and goal getting.

“As a people, we have in Daura the man who will make the personnel of SSS proud once again taking their place in the history of new Nigeria where corruption will be forbidden. ‎The security of the president and the entire nation rests upon the security apparatus the directorate inclusive and that is what the Katsina-born security expert has come to give.”

•Photo shows Daura.

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