ABUJA, Nigeria — The House of Representatives has given the nod of approval to appoint service chiefs recently put forward by President Bola Tinubu.
This confirmation, made on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, followed the recommendations of a House ad hoc committee assigned to review the nominees’ qualifications.
The new service chiefs who received parliamentary approval are Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa, appointed as Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, confirmed as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, taking up the position of Chief of Naval Staff; and AVM Hassan Abubakar, who will serve as Chief of Air Staff.
The committee, headed by Majority Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere, began screening the service chiefs on Monday.
This followed the Senate’s confirmation of the military chiefs’ appointment a few days earlier.
“The members of the Armed Forces must adhere strictly to the provisions of the Appropriation Act and urged them to work in synergy by sharing intelligence,” stated Babajimi Benson, the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee of the House.
He added that the service chiefs’ performance would undergo periodic reviews by the National Assembly if they received confirmation.
This series of appointments and confirmations is part of President Tinubu’s efforts to reshape the military’s leadership.
He announced the selection of these new service chiefs on June 19, 2023, a mere three weeks following his inauguration.
The approval by the House of Representatives marks the final step in the confirmation process, allowing these new chiefs to fully assume their duties and begin navigating Nigeria’s current complex security challenges.
Nigerian Senate Confirms New Military Service Chiefs
After an intensive screening process, the Nigerian Senate confirmed the appointments of the country’s new Service Chiefs on Thursday, July 13, 2023.
President Bola Tinubu appointed the officers, and their confirmations mark the latest step in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to bolster its security forces.
The Senate session, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabío, involved detailed nominee screenings.
The new Service Chiefs were asked to introduce themselves as part of the chamber’s standard protocol.
Following these introductions, senators retreated into a closed-door session to deliberate on the nominees’ qualifications and discuss broader security issues.
The in-camera session lasted three hours, after which the Senate reconvened to debate and confirm the appointments.
Major General Christopher G Musa was confirmed as the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General T.A Lagbaja was confirmed as the Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla was confirmed as Chief Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal H. B. Abubakar was confirmed as the Chief of Air Staff.
The Senate approved the nominations through voice votes, signalling a collective endorsement of President Tinubu’s choices.
The confirmed appointments of these new Service Chiefs underscore the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges and the importance of leadership in the military.
The nation and the world now await the impact of their strategic efforts to ensure national security and stability in Nigeria.
