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The House of Representatives on Thursday confirmed the appointment of the new service chiefs following the submission of the report of the screening exercise by an Ad-hoc Committee chaired by the member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Babajimi Benson.
Recall that on Wednesday, the Babajimi-led committee, comprising the House Committees on Defence, Army, Navy, and Air Force, screened the quartet of Olufemi Oluyede, Waidi Shuaibu, Sunday Aneke and Idi Abbas, following their nominations as Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and Chief of Naval Staff, respectively.
President Bola Tinubu had last week announced a shake-up in the nation’s security architecture in what some analysts linked to a rumoured coup to topple the Federal Government.
The cancellation of the nation’s Independence Day military parade was also believed in some quarters to be part of the government’s move to suppress internal unrest within the military.
However, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the coup insinuation, stressing in a statement that “Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President. He is the Commander-in-Chief. He has the power to hire and fire.”
In a brief session on Thursday by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, the House adopted the report of the Benson-led committee and confirmed the President’s nomination of the senior military officers.
The report read in part, “That the House do consider the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on the screening of the nominees for appointment as Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and approve the recommendation therein.
“That Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede be confirmed as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having successfully undergone the screening process of this Committee.
“That Major General Waidi Shaibu be confirmed as the Chief of Army Staff of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having successfully undergone the screening process of this committee.
“That Rear Admiral Idi Abbas be confirmed as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having successfully undergone the screening process of this Committee.
“That Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke be confirmed as the Chief of Air Staff of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having successfully undergone the screening process of this Committee.”
When subjected to a voice vote, members voted unanimously in support of the recommendations of the Committee.
The deputy speaker thereafter congratulated the new service chiefs and urged them to deploy their years of experience and expertise to secure Nigerians and their property day and night.
