President Buhari appoints Magaji Bichi DSS new D.G as Southern leaders complain of tribalism

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved with effect from the 14th of September, the appointment of Yusuf Magaji Bichi (fwc), as new Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS).

The appointment will put to rest speculation that the presidency was trying to bring back sacked D. G Babachir Lawal but it has also generated another form of protest from some political leaders in Southern Nigeria who were furious that the president didn’t retain the Acting D.G Matthew Seiyefa as the substantive DSS boss.

The southern leaders released a statement condemning the move by the president.

“The I-don’t-care and in-your-face attitude of the President in restoring Nigeria security architecture to the provocative situation of having 16 out of 17 service chiefs from his corner of the country is a clear demonstration of the fact that Nigeria for General Muhammadu Buhari is no more than his section of Nigeria and the resources and the constitutionally mandatory votes from other sections of the country,” the statement signed by Edwin Clark, among the other leaders, read.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, however noted that Bichi is a core Secret Service operative.

The statement reads in part, “The new DSS boss comes to the job with skills in intelligence gathering, research analysis, conflict management, general investigation, risk and vulnerability operations, counter intelligence and protective operation and human resources management.

“In the course of his career, Mr. Bichi has worked as the State Director of Security in Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto and Abia States.

“He was at various times the Director, National Assembly Liaison, (National War College), Director at National Headquarters in the Directorate of Security Enforcement, Directorate of Operations, Directorate of Intelligence, Directorate of Inspection and Directorate of Administration and Finance.”