UNDER THE SUN, IN THE RAIN
(Landmarks of the 18th Director General, NYSC, Major General Shuaibu
Ibrahim, MTRCN, Associate Professor of History)
By Uji Abdullahi Iliyasu
CHAPTER ONE
The Appointment
On May 9, 2019, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim, then Brig-General, from
Nigerian Army Education Corps, was appointed as the 18th Director
General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and assumed duty the
following day.
Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim is an Associate Professor of Military
History at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna. From the
prestigious military academy, Ibrahim was appointed Registrar of the
newly established Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno, the home
state of the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf
Buratai.
Major General Ibrahim’s appointment did not come without some
controversy. The mode of the announcement was the question. His
detractors argued that appointment of the Director General of NYSC
should be announced by the Presidency but not by Army Command. The
controversy was moved to the Senate by individuals who wanted to abort
the appointment which many who had worked closely with Major General
Ibrahim had hailed. The anti-Ibrahim campaigners deserve the
collective sympathy of their compatriots because they were unaware of
the bubbling patriotism in the Nasarawa state-born intellectual
military officer.
Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the
time, who was believed to belong to the inner circle of the Senate
President Bukola Saraki, moved a motion in the Senate with the intent
to void Major General Ibrahim’s appointment. He said the Military
Command breached the 1999 Constitution as amended, by announcing the
appointment of Ibrahim as the new Director General of NYSC.
In his words, “I’m bringing to the notice of the Senate an
infringement in the appointment of a new Director-General of NYSC.
“It was said that the Chief of Army Staff made a new appointment of
NYSC Director-General in replacement of the former DG. This is
unconstitutional as it is only the President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria that has the right as provided by the Constitution to do
so.
“The NYSC Act Section 5 reads, ‘There shall be a Director-General for
the National Youth Service Corps to be appointed by the President’.
But Buratai through a signal removed and appointed a new NYSC DG.
“We should not allow this, Mr. President (referring to Senate
President), otherwise, we should not be surprised to wake up one
morning to hear that DG, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps,
NSCDC, has been removed and appointed a new Senate President.”
Most of the arguments against the appointment of Major General Ibrahim
were done in ignorance. As Ibrahim himself said General Buratai was
not even happy that he was leaving the Nigerian Army University, Biu,
Borno, home state of the Army Chief. He said it was the late Chief of
Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Aba Kyari, who painstakingly
convinced Buratai that Ibrahim was the most qualified candidate for
the NYSC top job out of the three military intellectual officers
shortlisted.
The Senate subsequently, mandated its Committee on Youth and Sports to
investigate the appointment of the new Director-General of NYSC, to
find out if the law was violated.
At a plenary Ogba Obinna, the Committee Chairman, quoted Acting
Military Secretary (Army), GAT Ochigbano, as saying the Army submitted
three names to President Muhammadu Buhari regarding the posting. He
said, “COAS was represented [by] G.A.T. Ochigbano, Army’s Acting
Secretary who made written and oral presentations. Three suitable and
qualified candidates were nominated for the president to choose from.
“Their nomination was conveyed to the President through the Minister
of Defence via a letter dated 13 February 2019.
“The Minister of Defence confirmed to the DG the president’s approval
of Ibrahim via a letter dated 18 April 2019.”
He said the committee found out that “the appointment is in accordance
with the provisions of NYSC Act” and that “no law was violated as
presidential approval was granted before appointment.”
“The committee hereby recommends that due process was followed in the
appointment,” he added.
In May 9, 2019, Nigerian Army announced President Muhammadu Buhari’s
approval for the appointment of Shuaibu Ibrahim as Director General
(DG) of NYSC. This thus put a stop to anti-Ibrahim sentiments and
campaigners.
In the face of all this, General Buratai, from whom Ibrahim had
received his (Chief of Army Staff) award as the Overall Best
Participant for 2013 Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC) Executive
Management Course, had already found in the new DG of NYSC rare
leadership qualities that stood him out for the position of the
guardian of Nigerian graduate youths.
By standing his ground, General Buratai was able to present to Nigeria
one of the rarest public servants, who is both an accomplished soldier
and a scholar, to direct the NYSC affairs at Yakubu Gowon House.