Breaking News: Senate Opens Screening for Service Chiefs
By Wellington Jopelo
The Senate has begun screening the Service Chiefs recently nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The nominees arrived at the Senate chamber with their families and senior military officers, led by the President’s Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Basheer Lado.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion to suspend Order 12 to allow the nominees into the chamber and let the Senate sit as a Committee of the Whole for the screening. The motion was seconded by Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Osita Ngwu.
Those being screened include Chief of Defence Staff Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Army Staff Major-General Waheedi Shaibu, Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke, and Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Idi Abbas.
The Senate Leader proposed that General Oluyede be treated as “class captain,” since he had previously been screened for the role of Chief of Army Staff. Senate President Godswill Akpabio agreed and allowed Oluyede to share his past experience and views before taking a bow.
Oluyede spoke about the challenges of inadequate resources in the fight against insecurity and stressed the need for Nigeria to develop its own military equipment. He also called for strengthening the police to handle internal security, saying the military currently performs police duties. After his remarks, senators approved that he take a bow.