Some Nigerians have rejoiced over the resignation of Yusuf Bichi as the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS) about his leadership style and the perceived unprofessionalism of the agency’s staff members.
The Presidency announced Bichi’s resignation in a statement signed by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Monday, August 26, 2024.
The Presidency in the same statement announced the appointment of Adeola Ajayi as Bichi’s replacement.
“President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Directors-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS). Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed is the new Director-General of the NIA. Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi is the new Director-General of the DSS.” the statement read in part.
Shortly after Ajayi was announced as Bichi’s replacement, wild jubilation erupted at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja as staff members were seen in a viral video celebrating their boss’s resignation.
In another video, officials of the agency were seen throwing a party, rejoicing over Bichi’s resignation and replacement.
The videos have got Nigerians talking as some believe the wild celebration suggested the ex-DSS boss must have been a disciplinarian, who didn’t tolerate nonsense from his staff.
Others argued that the jubilation must have been inspired by the nepotism and unprofessionalism with which he allegedly led the agency, while neutrals questioned his achievement as the head of the intelligence agency.
Other Nigerians also described the DSS staff’s celebrations as unprofessional. This line of argument is predicated on the sentiment that officials of a national intelligence agency should not be conducting themselves in the manner they did in the viral videos.
Reacting, Jaafar Jaafar, a journalist, in his X handle wrote ‘‘The former DG of SSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, has turned an otherwise elite, professionally-run service into a graveyard of career aspirations, an orchard of nepotism and an armed corps of 40 Blantyre Crescent.
” He lowered the recruitment bar, removed multi-layer screening process to recruit personnel who couldn’t even pass Halogen Security aptitude test. Bichi arguably recruited the highest number of Cotonou “graduates” into the service.
He willfully extended the tenure of some retired directors in his good book for years, killing the ambitions of the aspiring directors. He allowed his wife to lord over the service, influencing recruitment, promotion and discipline.
As a peasant socialite and novo riche, she always oppressed people with a superfluity of everything at the expense of public funds. She moved around in a long motorcade with dozens of Tavor-wielding personnel, harassing motorists.
She was a stormy petrel who was majorly in the news for either assaulting her tailor for failing to meet a deadline or picking a fight with opposition politicians. His impudent, spoiled brat son shrugged off public criticism to gleefully display a fleet of luxury cars on social media.
At the expense of public funds, he has a number SSS operatives giving him cover at football arena, nightclub and political campaign rallies. The new DG should review the cases of detainees, be professional in the discharge of his duty and keep his family away from meddling in the affairs of the service. The service does not only need a factory reset but flushing!”
Olamide Oni, data analyst, in his X handle penned ‘‘The rejoicing in the aftermath of leadership changes in Nigeria is indeed a subjective phenomenon, deeply rooted in the complex and often murky waters of public administration.
The jubilation witnessed may not necessarily be a testament to the arrival of a virtuous new leader, but rather a cathartic release from the grip of a regime that many viewed as oppressive or self-serving.
It is an open secret that within the labyrinthine corridors of Nigerian public service, some individuals are steeped in malfeasance, their hands perpetually soiled by the mismanagement and siphoning of public funds.
For such characters, the ousting of a leader could very well represent an opportunity—a new lease on their unscrupulous endeavours, or perhaps, a bittersweet relief as the spoils of corruption had been hoarded by the ousted leader alone.
One must acknowledge the peculiarities of our nation, where the moral compass is so often skewed, and the boundaries between righteousness and corruption are frequently blurred.
The exuberant rejoicing that echoes through the land is less a harbinger of genuine optimism for a better future and more an indication of the shifting sands of power, where those who once languished in the shadows now see the opportunity to emerge, not necessarily with virtuous intent, but with ambitions of partaking in the spoils of office.
Indeed, Nigeria is a curious stage, where the drama of governance is played out with a cast of characters whose motivations are as complex as they are opaque, and where the symbolism of rejoicing often conceals more than it reveals.”
Why President Tinubu Sacked Bichi
Details have emerged on why Yusuf Bichi was removed as the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to sources who spoke with Guardian, President Bola Tinubu’s decision is rooted in his administration’s ongoing efforts to intensify the fight against terrorism and kidnapping across Nigeria.
Insiders revealed that Bichi’s dismissal was influenced by his alleged interference with National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu’s strategy to stamp out terrorists.
Ribadu reportedly felt that Bichi was undermining his coordinating efforts to execute the President’s directives aimed at ridding the nation of security threats.
The source said, “Ribadu feels Bichi has been sabotaging his coordinating efforts to carry out the marching order given by the President to rid the country of terrorists and kidnappers.”
In a series of high-profile security reshuffles on Tuesday, Tinubu approved the appointment of Mohammed Mohammed as the new Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), alongside Adeola Ajayi, who will now lead the DSS as Bichi’s replacement.
The new DSS Director-General, Adeola Ajayi, rose through the ranks to attain his current post of Assistant Director-General of the Service.
He had, at various times, served as State Director in Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi.
