Senate confirms new Service Chiefs

The Senate on Thursday confirmed the appointment of the new Chief of Defence Staff and the three service chiefs after considering the report of its joint committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force, which gave the military chiefs a clean bill of health.


President Goodluck Jonathan had in a letter to the Senate requested the senators to confirm for immediate appointment, Messrs Air Marshal Alex Badeh as Chief of Defence Staff; Major General Kenneth Minimah as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin as Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshall Adesola Amosu as Chief of Air Staff.

The task of screening the military chiefs was committed to the joint committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force led by Senator George Sekibo, which concluded its assignment within one week.

The directive of the All Progressives Congress to its members in the National Assembly, asking them to block all legislative bills and approval of all Jonathan nominees, did not prevent the committee from going ahead with its task.

Majority of the senators within the PDP and the opposition APC supported the motion for the approval of the Magoro’s led committee and subsequently recommended the appointment of the new service chiefs and the CDS.

However, the Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, clarified that the APC members in the upper chamber were not against the approval of the new service chiefs and the CDS.

Also, Senators Mohammed Saleh, Magoro, and James Manager, commended their colleagues for endorsing the appointment of the service chiefs who they described as accomplished professionals, eminently qualified for the positions.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, commended Jonathan for sending nominees for appointment as service chiefs to the National Assembly, in accordance to the constitution.

He also charged the top military officers to discharge their duties to the best of their ability.