House Okays Service Chiefs' Appointment

Source: thewillnigeria.com

BEVERLY HILLS, February 04, (THEWILL) - The House of Representatives Tuesday approved the appointments of the Service Chiefs following the adoption of   the recommendations of the Joint Committees on Defence, Navy, Air Force and Army  .

Those whose appointment were confirmed include the Chief Defence  Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Alex Badeh; the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major-General Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin; and Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu.

Chairman of the House Committee on Defence,  Hon.
Bashir Adamu ,  pleaded with House  to adopt and confirm the appointments of the service chiefs in view of the present security challenges in the country.

He explained that the joint committees had thoroughly screened all the four appointees and agreed to  confirm them in line with the  recommendations of the committees.

He said the lawmakers arrived at the position following their satisfaction of the responses of the service chiefs on wide-ranging national issues discussed during their closed door interaction last week.

"In view of the fact that our sister chamber of the senate has confirmed their appointment, there is need for the House to also approve the appointment of the new service chiefs,"   Adamu, who briefed the lawmakers on the committee's interaction with the four security chiefs, said.

The House had during the engagement with the new service chiefs promised to ease the flow of the security agencies' funds by ensuring their placement on the first line charge in the constitution.

This, the lawmakers fulfilled on Thursday, during voting on the amended clauses of the constitution, when they voted in favour of the placement of security agencies, and the police on the first line charge, with a view to easing the flow of their appropriated fund.

In a related development, the House also mandated its committees on security and police to investigate last weekend's killing of an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Auwal Albani, along with his wife and   son.

The House also ordered security agencies in the country to urgently investigate the matter with a view to fishing out the perpetrators of the act.

This followed the unanimous adoption of a motion on the matter moved by Hon.

Aminu Suleiman (APC, Kano,).
The lawmakers also resolved to send a delegation to commiserate with Albani's family as well as the Kaduna State Government over "these irreparable losses.

" While condemning the killings, the House prayed for the repose of Albani, his wife and son's souls.

The lawmakers also observed a minute silence for them.

Suleiman noted in his motion that Albani's killing came as a rude shock to many as he was at his peak of impacting the lives of Nigerians.

He said the killings were one of the most unfortunate in the country, adding that many innocent Nigerians had lost their lives in similar way, advising that this should not be allowed to go unpunished.

SAINT MUGAGA, ABUJA.