MILITARY RIVALRY STARVED SOLDIERS OF AIR SUPPORT- BWALA
Read Time:2 Minute, 52 Second
BY JEN NOMAMIUKOR
A rivalry between the Nigerian Army and the Air Force during the time of former President Muhammadu Buhari caused problems where troops didn’t get the air support they needed during military operations.This was shared by Daniel Bwala, who works closely with the president.
Bwala talked about this during an interview, which wasreleased on Friday.
He explained that there was a disagreement between the top leader of the Air Force and the Army leaders back then.
Because of this, when military units asked for help from the air, they often didn’t get it.But he said this issue has been fixed now.
He said, “I remember during Buhari’s time, there was a disagreement between the Chief of Air Staff and the Army leadership.
So whenever they launched an operation and asked for air cover, they wouldn’t get support.But in this current administration, things are different.There is good coordination and cooperation now.”
He made the comments while responding to a question on whether the military had been infiltrated by elements sympathetic to terrorist groups. Bwala dismissed suggestions that soldiers guard terrorists during attacks.
“I don’t think so. You see that’s a conjecture, except there’s a live case,” he said.
He, however, conceded that isolated cases of infiltration could not be ruled out.
“You cannot rule out the facts that they may have one or two agents in the army, anywhere else, that providing… Our police have always been arrested, and soldiers arrested involved in this kind of thing,” he said, citing the past arrest of a senior police officer alongside Chinese nationals.
“This will happen anywhere in the world. Snowden was a contractor to the US national security. These are elements that can happen, and why I didn’t want to talk much on that is because there are measures we’re taking and we don’t want people to know,” he added.
He linked broader security concerns to foreign interference, alleging that Nigeria’s insurgency had an international dimension, including pro-Russian demonstrations in parts of northern Nigeria.
“If you remember, there was a decision the Federal Government of Nigeria made at that time, immediately we started seeing these people in Nigeria lifting Russian flags,” he said.
Bwala also referenced an unverified claim by a member of the United States Congress, Scott Perry, that the CIA had funded Boko Haram and the Islamic State.
“I wouldn’t say that, but I will tell you what I saw. When they were having the congressional hearing, I don’t know whether it is true or not, because he’s not a Nigerian, but I’m just providing facts to you to tell you that conversations like that have gone on.
“Scott Perry was interrogating the CIA director and he was telling him that their congressional finding suggests that the CIA was funding Boko Haram, ISIS,” he said.
He added, “So, me, I’m not saying he’s right or he’s wrong. But what I’m saying is that an event like that has occurred, and as a country we cannot hear that and say you are a liar.”
Bwala rated the performance of the Tinubu administration highly, citing improvements in foreign reserves and revenue.
“He has done more than enough to earn the trust of Nigerians,” he said, adding that Nigerians should be allowed to decide for themselves whether the President deserved a second term.
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