The Senate has confirmed the appointment of nominees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as new Service Chiefs for the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The confirmed Service Chiefs are Major General C.G Musa; Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major General T. A Lagbaja; Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla; Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal H.B, Abubakar.
Before the confirmation, the Senators went into a closed-door session with the nominees, engaging them for over two hours. The nominees were allowed two minutes each to introduce themselves, after which the Senators dissolved into a Committee of the Whole during the closed-door session.
READ ALSO: President Tinubu announces Service Chiefs, NASS Aides
Upon resumption of plenary on Wednesday, the Senate adopted a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, to suspend the Order of the Day as contained in Order 60 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022, to receive them and allow the nominees to gain access to the Red Chamber. Consequently, they were ushered into the Chamber by the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Abdullahi Gumel.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had requested the confirmation of the Service Chiefs’ nomination in a letter to the Senate.
READ ALSO: Senate commences screening of President Tinubu’s nominees for Service Chiefs
It is noteworthy that, 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.
