Presidency defends appointment of Ahmed Abubakar as NIA DG

Ahmed Rufai Abubakar was appointed NIA DG by President Buhari

The Presidency has described as outright falsehood media reports that the new Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Abubakar, failed promotion examinations twice.

Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, who said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, also said it was untrue that he holds dual nationality.

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According to him, Abubakar has never been a Chadian as is being speculated in the media.

This is the second time the presidency is holding brief for the new DG who was a former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Recently at a send off party organised for Abubakar by presidential media aides, the Presidency frowned at media reports criticizing his appointment and describing him as unqualified.

In another statemnet issued on Sunday, Adesina said: “A lot of half-truths, misinformation, and outright falsehood” had greeted the announcement of Abubakar as the new director-general of NIA.

He noted that though Abubakar’s parents hailed from Katsina State, and had settled in Chad at a point in their lifetime, the new D-G did his primary school in Ndjamena (then Fort-Lamy), but returned to Nigeria for his secondary and University education and never at any time held Chadian nationality.

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“Some of such unfounded stories include that Abubakar had retired from the services of NIA as an Assistant Director, because he failed promotion examinations twice, and had to quit, willy-nilly.

“Others claim he is married to a Moroccan, and so cannot hold such sensitive security position, while others say he was born and bred in Chad, and he holds dual nationality.

“All these have been widely disseminated on the social, and some mainstream media.

“With the formal assumption of office by Mr Abubakar, it is now necessary to set the facts straight,’’ he said.

Adesina maintained that the new NIA D-G retired from Foreign Service as Deputy Director (not Assistant Director) and had thrice during his career, won Merit Award for competence and meritorious service.

According to him, failing promotion examination can only exist in the fecund minds of fiction writers.

“His last position before the new appointment was as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs/International Affairs where again he quietly proved himself.

“Abubakar’s parents hailed from Katsina State, and had settled in Chad at a point in their lifetime.

“The new D-G did his primary school in Ndjamena (then Fort-Lamy), but returned to Nigeria for his secondary and university education. He never at any time held Chadian nationality.

“Mr Abubakar’s only wife hails from Katsina State, indeed, from the same community as the husband.

“The story of being married to a Moroccan can only be tale by moonlight, concocted by people who love a fib,” he added.

The presidential aide further maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed the new D-G because he had worked closely with him in the past two years, and “sincerely believes that he would add value to the NIA.’’