Babajimi Benson, the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee of the House, emphasized the
By Okaba Blessing
The screening process of the recently appointed service chiefs by President Bola Tinubu commenced on Monday in the House of Representatives. The Majority Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere, led the screening committee. The service chiefs, consisting of Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff), and AVM Hassan Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff), were under review.
Babajimi Benson, the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee of the House, emphasized the importance of adherence to the Appropriation Act by the Armed Forces. He urged them to work collaboratively by sharing intelligence. Furthermore, he stated that the National Assembly would review the performances of the confirmed service chiefs.
Maj. Gen. Musa expressed his commitment to protecting the country’s territorial integrity and promoting synergy within the Armed Forces under his leadership.
The House session followed the previous screening and confirmation of the service chiefs by the Senate on Thursday. During a closed-door session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated that the service chiefs responded to questions concerning defense-related matters and other significant issues.
Exactly three weeks after his inauguration on June 19, 2023, President Tinubu replaced all service chiefs in Nigeria and immediately appointed new ones. Alkali Usman was removed as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Lucky Irabor was sacked as the Chief of Defence Staff, Faruk Yahaya retired as the Chief of Army Staff, Awwal Gambo was removed as the Chief of Naval Staff, and Isiaka Amao retired as the Chief of Air Staff.
The President subsequently appointed new service chiefs and selected Nuhu Ribadu, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as the National Security Adviser (NSA), replacing Babagana Monguno. Adeniyi Adewale was also appointed as the Acting Comptroller General of Customs.
All the newly appointed individuals have assumed their roles in an acting capacity until their confirmation by the National Assembly.
