By Dipo Olowookere
The presidency has reacted to the issues surrounding the appointment of Mr Ahmed Rufai Abubakar as the new Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, the presidency said Mr Abubakar is qualified to hold the position.
On the issue of his nationality, the statement said the new NIA boss is a Nigerian and not a Chadian as being alleged.
“Abubakar’s parents hailed from Katsina State, and had settled in Chad at a point in their lifetime.
“The new DG did his primary school in Ndjamena (then Fort-Lamy), but returned to Nigeria for his secondary and University education. He never at any time held Chadian nationality,” Mr Adesina said today.
On the nationality of his wife, the statement stressed that, “Mr Abubakar’s only wife hails from Katsina State, indeed, from the same community as the husband. The story of being married to a Moroccan can only be tale by moonlight, concocted by people who love a fib.”
Commenting on the allegation that the DG failed promotion exam twice, the statement said, “The new NIA DG retired from Foreign Service as Deputy Director (not Assistant Director) and three times during his career, had won Merit Award for competence and meritorious service.
“Failing promotion examination can only exist in the fecund minds of fiction writers. His last position before the new appointment was as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs/International Affairs where again he quietly proved himself.”
Mr Adesina explained in the statement that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed the “new DG because he had worked closely with him in the past two years, and sincerely believes that he would add value to the NIA.”
He described the allegations as “unfounded”, which “can only be tale by moonlight, concocted by people who love a fib.”
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Adedapo Adesanya