The Senate Tuesday confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Major General Lucky Eluoye Onyenucheya Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff.
Also confirmed were the nominations of Major General Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu as Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao as Chief of Air Staff.
The confirmation of the nominees followed consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Defence during plenary.
The nominees were appointed by President Buhari to take-over the rein of leadership in the military from the 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.
Chairman of the committee, Aliyu Margatakarda Wammako, (APC, Sokoto North), in his presentation of the report said the Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Airforce “screened the four nominees and was satisfied with their qualifications, exposures, conducts, characters, experiences and general performances.
The lawmaker said, “The nominees have displayed wide and in-depth knowledge on strategies, tactics and military operations.”
Contributing, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North), 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 appointments 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.
“Mr. President, we are in very perilous times with insurgency in the North-east and banditry in the North-west and North-central.
“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,” he said .
Senate President Ahmad Lawan in his own remarks urged the newly confirmed service chiefs to take the war against insecurity in the country to the operational centres of the insurgents and bandits.
“Kidnapping through banditry is becoming an industry in the country which is not acceptable. The war must be taken to the bandits and insurgents,” he said.
The nominees were, thereafter, confirmed by the Senate in a committee of the whole.
