The house of representatives’ joint committees on defence, army, navy, and air force have asked the service chiefs-designate to prioritise restoration of peace and stability in the country.
Babajimi Benson, chairman of the committee on defence, spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the screening of Olufemi Oluyede, chief of defence staff; Waidi Shaibu, chief of army staff; Sunday Kelvin Aneke, chief of air staff; and Idi Abbas, chief of naval staff — newly appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
Benson said the screening exercise was not “merely ceremonial but a critical mechanism for ensuring accountability, transparency and public confidence in our national security issues”.
“Through it, we seek to ascertain the professional competence, integrity, vision and readiness of the nominees to lead the Armed Forces in addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges,” he said.
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“Our country today faces evolving threats, from terrorism and banditry to emerging forms of cyber and maritime insecurity. Nigerians expect results, and we in the house of representatives share that expectation.
“Therefore, this screening exercise offers an opportunity to interact candidly with the nominees, assess their understanding of the current security landscape, and hear their strategic plans for restoring peace and stability across the federation.
“To our nominees, I urge you to approach this engagement with openness and clarity. The committee looks forward to your insights, your priorities, your new ideas, and how you will bring safety to bear in leading our men and women in uniform with courage and professionalism.”
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He added that the committee would be “fair, thorough and objective” and ensure the “most capable and visionary leaders” are confirmed to serve the nation.
While addressing the committee, Shaibu pledged to build on his predecessor’s legacy by enhancing troops’ welfare, strengthening training and operational readiness, and reforming the security structure.
“With my wealth of experience in combating oppressions across the length and breadth of this country, I intend to indeed inject new vigour into our training in preparing our troops for the roles they are about to play,” he said.
“With this, I sincerely hope that when we take our security architecture, we will create an enabling environment for socio-economic activities to thrive, and our people will move freely in our country.”
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The senate screened and confirmed the service chiefs on Wednesday.
