Vice Admiral

The Senate Committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air force has commenced screening the newly appointed service chiefs nominees as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had on February 10, mandated the Committee on Foreign Affairs to confirm General Abayomi Olonisakin (retd) (Ekiti); Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd) (Borno); Vice Admiral Ibok- Ette Ibas (retd) (Cross River); Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar(retd) (Bauchi); and Air Vice Marshal Muhammad S. Usman (Rtd) (Kano) as non-career ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Senate committee on Foreign Affairs is about now screening the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin (rtd) and the erstwhile service chiefs for appointment as non-career Ambassadors.

The Coordinator of Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI), Sulaimon Suberu has said engaging ex service chiefs has dual positive impacts on the fight against insurgency.

The Senate yesterday read a request from President Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of the newly appointed service chiefs.

President Muhammadu Buhari has written formally to the Senate for the confirmation of the appointment of the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and service chiefs.

Former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof Bola Akinterinwa, says the appointment of ex-service chiefs as non-career ambassadors may not necessarily grant them diplomatic immunity or protect them from being probed by the International Criminal Court.

The Northern Elders Forum, NEF, on Thursday night, said there was nothing wrong with President Muhammadu Buhari nominating any citizen, including the immediate past service chiefs, for the position of an ambassador so long as such a person remained acceptable and worthy of the office. =

President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate.

Gambo, is presently meeting with his predecessor Vice Admiral Ibok Ette-a Ibas, in the office after which the official handing and taking over will take place at the conference room of the Navy headquarters where senior retired and serving officers, top civil servants are already seated to witness the ceremony.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed confidence that the new service chiefs will consolidate on the remarkable achievements of their predecessors in keeping the country safe and peaceful.

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Tuesday, attributed the rising spate of insecurity in the country to the retention, for far too long, of Service Chiefs who were no longer delivering as expected by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere has described the sack of service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari as a belated exercise.

The spokesman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Emmanuel Yawe, has commended President Mohammadu Buhari for finally heeding the call of Nigerians by sacking the Service Chiefs.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the President’s Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, said the new Service Chiefs are: Major-General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao, Chief of Air Staff.

The Nigerian Navy has completed the construction of a transit accommodation that will take not less than 230 Junior Ratings, with a view to motivating personnel and enhance efficiency.

The Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Salihi-Magashi, has given an assurance that the abducted students of the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, will be rescued soon.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has said that some security personnel were colluding with criminals to sabotage the efforts of the security agencies.

The Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi, (retd) said that there are no quick fixes to combat the present security challenges bedeviling the country.

Director Naval Information, Commodore Suleiman Dahun, who made this known in a statement said 122 Lieutenant Commanders were promoted to the rank of Commander, 38 Commanders to Captain, 24 Captains to Commodore and 19 Commodores promoted Rear Admiral.

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday unfolded plans by his administration to prevent the reoccurrence of the #EndSARS protests, championed by activists campaigning against police brutality.

President Muhammadu Buhari says that he will do whatever it takes to ensure that there is no repeat of EndSARS protests in Nigeria again.