Following the upper chamber’s screening of the top brass, this happened.
On Thursday, the Senate approved the nomination of the newly appointed service chiefs made by President Bola Tinubu.
Following the upper chamber’s screening of the top brass, this happened.
According to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the service chiefs answered questions on current events and defense-related topics during the session behind closed doors.
The Senate’s red chamber was asked to approve the service chiefs in a letter that the President had on Monday had read on the Senate floor.
Following the beginning of session on Thursday, the Senate began the screening of the service chiefs, with each of them taking the stage to discuss how, if confirmed, they would deal with the nation’s security issues.
The service chiefs that have been officially announced are Major General C.G. Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), Major General T.A. Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral E.A. Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff), and AVM H.B. Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff).
The service chiefs gave a brief introduction to themselves to the Senators during the screening.
The head of the defense department spoke first. He declared that under his command, the Armed Forces will put up unrelenting effort to protect the nation.
He promised that soldiers would continue to faithfully protect Nigerians.
Second to take a seat at the podium was the Army commander. He claimed that Nigeria had seen trying security circumstances that had an effect on the economy and the overall social structure.
Insecurity, he claimed, has warped Nigeria’s growth strategy, and he promised to bring in new proactive, adaptable, and inclusive capabilities to reverse the terrible trend.
According to the Army chief, he will make every effort to uphold the President’s confidence in him if he is confirmed by the Senate.
The Nigerian Navy will increase monitoring and surveillance, the naval leader promised, to make sure that its missions are successful.
He pledged to enhance previous tactics, create fresh tactics, and strengthen agency collaboration to combat oil theft.
More air power will be used, according to the Air Chief, to lessen national security risks. In the end, he declared, air fighting capability will be his main priority.
Shakeup
Three weeks after his inauguration, on June 19, 2023, Tinubu replaced all of the service chiefs in Nigeria with new ones and ordered them to resume their positions immediately.
Alkali Usman, who was fired as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Lucky Irabor, who was fired as the Chief of Defence Staff, Faruk Yahaya, who retired as the Chief of Army Staff, Awwal Gambo, who was fired as the Chief of Naval Staff, and Isiaka Amao, who retired as the Chief of Air Staff are among those who were impacted by the unprecedented shakeup.
Nuhu Ribadu, a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was subsequently nominated as the President’s new national security adviser (NSA). Babagana Monguno was succeeded as the country’s NSA by Ribadu.
Adeniyi Adewale was also chosen by Tinubu to serve as the acting customs controller general.
Prior to being confirmed by the National Assembly, each new appointee has since started serving in an acting capacity.
Very high standards
The President’s action came in response to repeated requests from civil society organizations for a revision of the security architecture and the appointment of new personnel to manage the country’s security apparatus.
Verifiable evidence revealed that over 55,000 Nigerians died between May 2015 and May 2023 at the hands of terrorists, bandits, and armed gangs while under the rule of the immediate past president Muhammadu Buhari. Numerous people criticized the previous head of the military government for the shocking murders that occurred in the nation when he was in office.
On May 29, 2023, Tinubu, who succeeded Buhari, a fellow party member, took office. In his inaugural speech, he pledged to “defend the nation from terror and all forms of criminality that threaten the peace and stability of our country,” and he added that “to effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security doctrine and its architecture.”
Nigerians anticipate a safe nation with a noticeable decline in the frequency of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, and other widespread crimes following the confirmation of the service chiefs.
