Former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau on Thursday said he
was not desperate about holding any political appointments in the country.
Gen Dambazzau, the first Nigeria army chief to hold a PhD degree, and
currently a Senior Visiting Fellow of the Centre for Peace, Democracy and
development, University of Massachusetts, Boston, as well as a fellow and
Associate of the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs, Harvard
University, said he is not desperate holding any political appointment.
He however denied that he was in the race for the National Security
Adviser (NSA), a position which was given to retired Major General Babagana
Monguno, on Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari.
"What race? There was no race for the office of National Security Adviser
(NSA). And if there was one, I was not a contestant. For very good reasons,
people may have their expectations, but that should not be translated as
mine. Of course I will be glad to work for the President if he assigned me
any task or appoints me in any capacity he feels I can contribute towards
the success of the government. This is especially because I was the CPC
Chairman of the Security Committee in 2011 and he personally appointed me
and also in 2015 as Director, Intelligence and Security of the APC
Presidential Campaign Council."
"At any rate the President has the prerogative to appoint any person of his
choice to any of the available positions, but in the final analysis it is
God that determines who becomes what. My prayer therefore is for the
Almighty God to guide President Muhammadu Buhari in this very important
task of nation-building He has given him."
He continued, "My relationship with Mr. President does not hinge on
political appointment. Wether or not he assigns me to a particular office,
my resolve to ensure that he succeeds remains unshakable. He is a person I
highly respect and I am ready to support him throughout his tenure. I am
not doing him a person favour, but I consider it as a duty to contribute in
fixing Nigeria. I have immensely benefitted from Nigeria after reaching the
peak of my career as a General and commanded the army, and acquired the
highest educational qualification (PhD), it is only reasonable to consider
this opportunity as a payback time."
"I am not unaware of some persons desperate to soil my name, mainly out of
envy. I have built a very good reputation both home and abroad, I doubt
very much if anyone can easily destroy it. Such people should not see me as
an obstacle to their ambition, but like I said earlier, power and wealth
belong to God and He gives whomever He wishes at the timeHe wishes."
Before he retired from the army as the 17th Chief of Army Staff, in 2010,
he was the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Ibadan. Before
then he was the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation; a Directing Staff
and Director, Higher Military Organization and Operations at the then
National War College; Principal General Staff Officer (PGSO) to the Hon
Minister, Ministry of Defence; ChiefInstructor, Support Weapons Wing,
Nigeria Army School of Infantry; Academy Registrar, Nigeria Defence Academy
(NDA); Commander, Provost Groups of 3 Division and 1 Division, respectively.
As a young officer, he served as ADC to the Chief of Army Staff and special
Investigator, Special Investigation Bureau of the Military Police. Outside
the military, he was a part time lecturer in Criminology in the Faculty of
Law, Ahmadu Bello University for about four years. In the last five years
since his retirement, General Dambazau has been engaged in business as
security consultant and estate development. He is also the Founder and
Chairman, Foundation for Victims of Child Abuse (VCAF).
