President Buhari writes Senate to confirm appointment of Service Chiefs

President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Nigerian Senate seeking the confirmation of the new Service Chiefs he appointed on Tuesday.

The President’s letter which was dated January 27, and addressed to the Senate President Ahmad Lawan, was confirmed on Friday by Senator Babajide Omoware, Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matter (Senate).

Omoware quoted the President as saying that the Senate confirmation was in “furtherance of Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap. A, 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.”

The President’s aide said contrary to fears expressed by many Nigerians that Buhari had “bypassed” the National Assembly in the process of “appointment of the Service Chiefs and had no intention of seeking consideration and confirmation of their appointment, the President had, upon nomination for the appointment, sought confirmation of the Senate for the appointment of the Service Chiefs.”

“It is on record that this same procedure was adopted when the immediate past Service Chiefs were appointed,” Omoware said in a statement.

Read also: What Buhari must do to ensure new service chiefs end insurgency, kidnapping, others –Sen Ndume

“Upon announcement of the appointment of the then Service Chiefs, Major General Abayomi Olonisakin (Chief of Defence Staff), Major General Tukur Buratai (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Ibok-Efe Ibas (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff), Mr President had written the 8th Senate on 14th July, 2015, for confirmation.

“Whilst the correspondence was read on the floor of the Senate on 28th July 2015, consideration and confirmation of the appointments was carried out at the Committee of the Whole on 4th August 2015.”

President Buhari had announced the appointment of Major-General Lucky Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao, Chief of Air Staff; and Major-General I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff, without proper confirmation from the Senate which is currently on vacation.

The action had drawn the flak of prominent Nigerians who said he had contravened the constitution of the country as he did not send the names of the appointees to the National assembly for proper confirmation before making the announcement.

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