Senate Confirms Service Chiefs
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Senate on Tuesday confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Major General Lucky Eluoye Onyenucheya Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff.
Also confirmed were Major General Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Agambi as Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Alao as Chief of air Staff.
The confirmation of the nominees followed the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Defence at plenary.
The nominees were appointed by President Buhari as replacement of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
While presenting the Report of his committee, its Chairman, Senator Aliyu Margatakarda Wammako (APC, Sokoto North), said that the Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Airforce screened the nominees and was satisfied with their qualifications, exposures, conducts, characters, experiences and general performances.
Wammako said; “The nominees have displayed wide and in-depth knowledge on strategies, tactics and military operations”.
In his contributiog, Senator Jibrin Barau described the nominees as “capable” in tackling head-on the challenges presented by the spate of insecurity across the country.
The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central) recalled that the appointment of the nominees were made by President Buhari following persistent agitations by the National Assembly and Nigerians demanding a change of the leadership of the military.
Omo-Agege said; “For so long, and indeed so many times on this floor, and on the floor of our sister chamber in the House of Representatives, there were serious agitations for changes to be effected in the military leadership of the security agencies.
The nominees were, thereafter, confirmed by the Senate in a Committee of the Whole.