The Senate has commenced the screening of the newly nominated Service Chiefs forwarded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for confirmation.
The nominees arrived at the Senate chamber on Wednesday, accompanied by their family members and senior officers of the Armed Forces. They were led into the chamber by the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Basheer Lado.
The exercise began after the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion to suspend Order 12 on floor privileges, allowing the chamber to admit “strangers” — a parliamentary term for non-members — and to enable the Senate to sit as a Committee of the Whole for the screening. The motion was seconded by the Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Osita Ngwu.
The nominees undergoing screening are: Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General Waheedi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff; Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke, Chief of Air Staff; and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff.
Before the session began, the Senate Leader suggested that since Lieutenant General Oluyede had earlier been screened and confirmed as Chief of Army Staff, he should be regarded as the “class captain” to lead the other nominees. The proposal, seconded by Senator Ngwu, was accepted by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who said it would be appropriate for Oluyede to share insights from his previous role and his vision as Chief of Defence Staff.
Taking the podium, Oluyede described his tenure as Chief of Army Staff as both “challenging and rewarding,” acknowledging the limitations in resources and logistics faced by the military in combating insecurity.
“We know the resources are not enough. The enablers are not enough. It makes it difficult to prosecute the fight against bandits and terrorists,” he said.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to develop its own military hardware to reduce dependence on foreign arms procurement, noting that the high cost of imports was unsustainable.
The Defence Chief nominee also called for strengthening the Nigeria Police Force to enable it to effectively discharge its constitutional duties. “At present, the military is doing some of the work the police are supposed to do,” he stated.
Following his remarks, Senate President Akpabio asked that Oluyede be allowed to take a bow, given that he had previously been screened and approved by the chamber. The senators unanimously agreed.
The screening of the remaining nominees continued behind closed doors.
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