The Presidency had on June 19 approved the immediate retirement of all Service Chiefs and announced a deluge of appointments which included a new National Security Adviser (NSA) and replacements for the Security Chiefs pending their screening and approval by the National Assembly.
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The Senate has commenced screening of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and other Service Chiefs for the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had requested the confirmation of the Service Chiefs’ nomination in a letter to the Senate.
Hence, upon resumption of plenary on Wednesday, the Senate thus suspended its rules to allow the Security Chiefs to gain access to the Red Chamber. After they were led into the chamber, the Security Chiefs Designates briefly introduced themselves before the lawmakers, following which the Senate dissolved into a Committee of the Whole to make final decisions.
The Service Chiefs Designates are Major General C.G Musa; Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major General T. A Lagbaja; Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla; Chief of Naval Staff, Air Vice Marshal H.B, Abubakar; Chief of Air Staff, DIG Kayode Egbetokun; Acting Inspector-General of Police, and Major General E.P.A. Undiandeye; Chief of Defence Intelligence
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Similarly, at its sitting on Tuesday, the House of Representatives had approved the composition of an ad-hoc committee to screen the Security Chiefs.
The committee, which is to be chaired by Rep. Babajimi Benson, erstwhile Chairman of the House Committee on Defence in the Ninth National Assembly, has all Principal Officers of the House of Representatives from both the Majority and Minority Caucuses as members.
WHAT TO NOTE:
The screening of nominees presented by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to the National Assembly for confirmation as Service Chiefs is in accordance with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
