Zamfara state former Commissioner for Science and Technology Ahmad Abubakar Maradun has alleged that one of the problems Defense Minister Bello Matawalle faced when he was appointed minister of State Defense was his thought over having a solution to the insecurity facing the country.
Maradun who stated this during an APC stakeholders meeting held in Maradun on Saturday, insisted that the Minister should have carefully understood that his role is mere political; hence his power did not fall part of the line of command.
He argued that the power to command the military lies with the President, who is the commander in chief, down to the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defense staff and then down to the other service chiefs up to the level GOC’s and other military ranks.
He noted that it will be wrong to attribute the blame over insecurity to the Minister of Defense rather local government Chairmen, state Governors and indeed Asiwaju at the top level.
He noted that people should be wary of the statutory procedures as it applies to management of insecurity, explaining that the local government Chairman has a central role to play before one begins to talk of Minister of defense, Governors and the President.
He insisted that the Minister in a normal circumstance cannot even command a GOC not to talk of providing security to the state and country at large.
He clarified that the role of the Minister of defense is to convey the approval of the President and also ensure the welfare and well-being of the troops on command, noting that it was not even the responsibility of the Minister to be informed when an attack was to be launched.
