Political leaders now architects of instability — Ex-DSS Director

A retired Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has alleged that “political leaders have become active architects of instability”, owing to the failure to make the dividends of democracy available to the masses, in some instances.

This is because the security consultant further argued that corruption and lack of patriotism among the political class pose a threat to national security.

Amachree made the claims in a book he presented during the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Department of State Services, also known as the State Security Service (SSS).

The foremost domestic intelligence agency was created in 1986, upon the dissolution of the National Security Organisation (NSO). Other offshoots are the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), as well as the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

In the 348-page book titled DSS@40: My Journey Behind The Shield, the author pulls back the curtain on years of frontline security operations, offering a rare insider’s view of the challenges, sacrifices, and responsibilities that accompany the protection of national interests.

Through gripping accounts of intelligence gathering, counterintelligence operations, crisis management, and the protection of strategic national assets, Amachree reveals the realities of a profession often hidden from public view.

While defending his claims that “politicians are a threat to national security” in chapter 18 of the book, the retired intelligence personnel said, “The endemic corruption and profound lack of patriotism among Nigeria’s political class represent a fundamental threat to national security, one that arguably surpasses external adversaries.”

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According to him, “Rather than providing the stewardship required to stabilise a nation in decline, political leaders have become active architects of instability.”

He further posted that “Their actions and systemic inaction have transformed the state from a protector of the people into a primary driver of socioeconomic collapse.”

In his “Anatomy of Political Sabotage” postulation, the security expert believes that the current security crisis is not merely a result of insurgent or criminal activity.

While maintaining that the development “is a direct symptom of political failure”, the statesman concluded that “this ‘slippery slope’ is a direct symptom of political failure”.