Dipo Olowookere
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The newly appointed service chiefs will soon appear before the House of Representatives for screening before their appointment by President Bola Tinubu is confirmed.
On Tuesday, the lower chamber of the National Assembly constituted an ad-hoc committee to carry out the function.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Abbas Tajudeen, said all the eight principal officers of the green chamber from the majority and minority parties would be part of the ad-hoc committee.
According to him, the immediate past Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Mr Babajimi Benson, will lead the screening team.
The appointees billed for screening by the committee are the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. C.G Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. T. A Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla; and the Chief of Air Staff, AVM H.B Abubakar.
The President had conveyed the nominations to the National Assembly via a letter dated July 5, 2023, addressed to the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio; and the Speaker of the House, Mr Tajudeen Abbas.
“In compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act. CAP A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, I am pleased to present, for confirmation by the Senate/House, the four nominees listed below as Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” a part of the letter read.
“The Senate/House of Representatives is invited to note the current security situation of our country, which requires concerted efforts of both the legislature and the executive to ensure a well-protected nation.
“This informed the review of our Defence Architecture and appointment of new leaders to work in synergy with one another to achieve the level of optimal performance expected of the military.
“While I hope that the request will receive the expeditious consideration and confirmation of the House of Representatives,” it added.
