Why Nigeria’s Acting President Jonathan fired his security adviser.

USAfrica, March 8, 2010: In his first bold, presidential security interest move, Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has removed his country's national security adviser Sarki Mukhtar.

He announced a familiar replacement in the person of retired General Aliyu Gusau. A polite statement from the Presidency in Abuja stated: “Dr Jonathan thanked the outgoing national security adviser for his services to the nation (and) wished him well in his future endeavors.”

USAfricaonline.com notes that Jonathan was picked in 2007 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to serve as the ailing President Yar'Adua's vice Presidential running mate; curiously and safely, the reluctant power player Jonathan picked Gusau who served in the same role/position for the Obasanjo presidency.

The religious and ethnic attack of March 7 by Islamic, mainly Fulani activists near the predominantly Christian city of Jos (in central Nigeria) which has caused the violent deaths of about 500 women, children and aged people occurred without any security knowledge or gauge by Nigeria's security agencies. Mukthar was the national security adviser.

Prior to that, the presidential Brigade of Guards were deployed to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport in Abuja the February 24, 2010, without informing the “Acting President” Jonathan, to block and secure the surreptitious, late night arrival of ill President Yar'Adua back to Nigeria after more than 100 days in Saudi Arabia. Again, Mukthar was the national security adviser.

There are other security “incidents” which USAfrica and USAfricaonline.com contacts inside Abuja and the Nigerian presidency are aware of under the short relationship between Jonathan and the not-so-lucky Mukthar. A presidential assistant hinted to USAfrica “expect more firings and shuffling of ministers and directors in the next couple of weeks.”

Nigerians, tired from the lackluster, below par performance of their indisposed President Yar'Adua (aka Baba Go Slow) and the very deferential and tentative Acting President, yearn for change to deal with their basic needs.

•Chido Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the Internet www.USAfricaonline.com, worked for the Nigerian Television Authority and the editorial board of the Daily Times of Nigeria in the late 1980s. Houston-based USAfrica has been characterized by The New York Times as the most influential African-owned, U.S-based multimedia networks.