Like senate, reps confirm appointments of service chiefs

The house of representatives has confirmed President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for the positions of service chiefs.

The house of representatives confirmed the appointment of the service chiefs on Thursday after reviewing the screening report presented by Babajimi Benson, chairman of the committee on defence.

Those confirmed include Olufemi Oluyede as chief of defence staff, Wahidi Shaibu as chief of army staff, Idi Abbas as chief of naval staff, and Kennedy Aneke as chief of air staff.

The service chiefs were screened on Wednesday by the joint house of representatives’ committees on defence, navy, army, and air force.

While presenting the screening report, Benson described the security chiefs as “exemplary, seasoned, courageous, disciplined, and visionary.”

“I am so proud that President Bola Tinubu nominated them. It was our unanimous resolve to recommend that the service chiefs be confirmed,” he said.

Tinubu appointed the service chiefs on October 24, after he sacked their predecessors amid rising public demand for better security performance, as the nation continues to battle terrorism, banditry, and widespread violent crime in several regions.

The senate screened and confirmed the appointments of the service chiefs on Wednesday.

During his screening at the green chamber, Oluyede said he will bring positive changes to the nation’s armed forces.

“Of significance is the fact that in the past six years, I have operated at the senior operational and management levels of the Nigerian Army, and by extension, the armed forces of Nigeria, and I have been somewhat part of the running of the services,” he said. 

“Thus, I cannot completely distance myself from the successes or setbacks of our great army in the past couple of years.”