After four and half hours screening at a closed-door session, the Senate yesterday screened and confirmed the newly appointed Service Chiefs as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari. The army chiefs who were screened and approved by the Senate are: Major General Abayomi Olonishakin, Chief of Defence Staff; Major General Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff; Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff.
After passing votes and proceedings of the previous legislative day, and receiving petitions from some constituents through their representatives in the Senate, the Upper Chamber, through a motion by the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, and seconded by the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, welcomed the Service Chiefs into the hallowed chamber for the screening exercise. However, Senate President Bukola Saraki explained that, as a result of the sensitive nature of security matters, the Senate had to go into a closed-door session for the screening of the nominees without any impediment.
Accordingly, the Chamber went into an executive session at 11:25a.m. The session lasted till 4:15p.m. While reporting what transpired at the session, Saraki said that the senators asked the service chiefs pertinent questions based on the expected responsibilities they are going to discharge to the country. He also reiterated that the appointments of the Service Chiefs were based on merit and therefore, urged them to live up to the responsibilities of their offices, particularly as it pertains to the on-going war against the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East geopolitical zone. He said: “It is clear that their appointments were based on merit.
Their appointments as we all see is coming at a very crucial time with a lot of challenges, particularly the insurgents in the North- East and some of the other security issues.” Saraki further urged the military heads to work hard and stamp out corruption in the procurement process of the Armed Forces, and also eliminate oil theft which has adversely affected the nation’s national income.
He said that tackling these problems would help restore the image of the military establishment in the country, which is currently not in a good light. “We hope that during their period of time, they will take up the responsibility required. We are all keen to restore the image and reputation of the Armed Forces. I believe that what we are starting today with their confirmation is the beginning of that journey to restore the glory of the Armed Forces of our great country. “It is very important also as we emphasised to them on the issue of procurement procedure in the Armed Forces. It is an area that they must work hard to rout corruption in this process. We must leave behind those days where basic equipment and all these issues that we believe should be available for our men and women out there should be made available.”
President Buhari had on July 13 appointed the service chiefs. He also appointed Air Vice-Marshal Monday Morgan as Chief of Defence Intelligence and Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) as National Security Adviser. Also, Saraki disclosed that the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu would today lead Senator Ahmad Lawan and other senators to Adamawa on a visit to camps of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Other senators on the trip are Abdlulaziz Nyako (Adamawa Central), Binta Garba (Adamawa North), Ahmadu Abubakar (Adamawa South), George Sekibo (Rivers East), Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South) and Bashir Marafa (Taraba).
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has charged the service chiefs to eliminate the Boko Haram insurgency and check the intractable menace of illegal oil bunkering in the country. In his opening remarks, Chairman of the House ad hoc committee on screening of service chiefs, Hon. Garba Datti, tasked the military chiefs to secure Nigerian territorial boundaries with neighbouring countries of Benin, Cameroon and Niger Republic.
He said the rampant activities of militancy in the Niger Delta, along with cases of smuggling and piracy on the nation’s waterways will equally require constant policing to curtail the menace. Datti said the welfare of military personnel engaged in the fight against Boko Haram must be made a priority. The screening later went into a close-door executive session.
No comments:
Post a Comment