Senate Begins Screening Of New Service Chiefs

The Senate has begun the screening of the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs forwarded to it by President Muhammadu Buhari for screening and subsequent confirmation.
Consequently, the Senate on Wednesday referred the names of the newly appointed Service Chiefs to its Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Airforce and Navy to commence the screening exercise and report back to the Senate at Plenary for other legislative actions.

The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan after the Executive Communication as presented by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kebbi North,then referred the names to the Joint Senate Committee.
Recall that Buhari had in a letter to the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, dated 27th January 2021, said that the screening was being sought in furtherance of Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap A.20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

The new Service Chiefs to be screened are: Major General Lucky Irabor, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao as Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff, respectively.

Also referred was the President’s request for the confirmation of General Abayomi Olonisakin (Rtd); Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai (Rtd); Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas (Rtd); Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar(Rtd); and Air Vice Marshal Muhammad S. Usman (Rtd) as Non-Career Ambassadorial Nominees to the Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa, APC, Bauchi North led Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Senator Lawan while referring the nomination of Barr. Victor Chinemerem Muruako for appointment as Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission to the Committee on Finance; also referred the nomination of Larry Obinna Chukwu as Commissioner for the Nigerian Law Reform to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.

The Committees were all given two weeks to report back to the Senate.