BEVERLY HILLS, CA, January 27, (THEWILL) – All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators on Monday dumped their party’s directives to block all requests and executive bills from President Goodluck Jonathan as they actively participated in the screening of new service chiefs.
Lawmakers of the party in the National Assembly were vis a directive from their National Executive Committee (NEC) last Thursday directed to block all executive legislation, chief among them being the 2014 budget, screening of new Service Chiefs and Ministerial nominees, seemed to have caged them.
But curiously at the Senate joint committee, which conducted the screening presided over the chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence and Army, Senator George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers) had no fewer than seven APC Senators in attendance.
They are Senators Babafemi Ojodu (Ekiti State), Akin Odunsi (Ogun State), Kabiru Marafa(Zamfara State),Sani Saleh (Kaduna State), Attai Aidoko (kogi),Jibrilla Mohammed Bindowo (Adamawa State), Boroffice Robert Ajayi (Ondo State).
It could be recalled that in a communique issued at the end of the emergency NEC meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, had premised their decision on what they called the spate of impunity and lawlessness in Rivers State, which they accused the Presidency of complicity.
However, Senator Sekibo in his remark at the commencement of the screening, said the exercise was in fulfillment of the provisions of the constitution and the Armed Forces Act 2004 which he noted had been flouted since it was enacted.
“It is pertinent to mention that our country is going through some major security challenges including among others the North East insurgency, the oil theft and pipeline vandalisation in the South South, and kidnapping in the South East. If the required attention is not given to these challenges, they are capable of disintegrating our country or putting our nation’s unity in question”, he said.
He further declared that the Senate believed that the change of batons from the previous Service Chiefs by the President is to work towards achieving tranquillity in the North East and other parts of the country.
Those being screened are; Air Marshal Alex Badeh who took over from Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim as Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Kenneth Tobiah Minimah, who is to take over from Lt.-General Azubike Ihejirika as Chief of Army Staff.
Others are Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin who will replace Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba as Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu that will take over from Air Marshal Badeh as Chief of Air Staff.
The new Chief of Defence Staff and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Badeh was born on January 10, 1957 and joined the Air Force as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 21 Regular Course while the new Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Minimah was born on July 27, 1959 and joined the Army as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 25 Regular Course. Until his new appointment, Major-General Minimah was the Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, Jaji.
The new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin was born on September 16, 1959 and joined the Navy as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 24 Regular Course. Until his appointment as Chief of Naval Staff, he was Director of Training at Defence Headquarters.
The new Chief of Air Staff and immediate past Commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Air Vice Marshal Amosu was born on August 1, 1958 and joined the Air Force as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 25 Regular Course.
Until his new appointment, Air Vice Marshal Amosu was the Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command, Makurdi.
BY EMMA UCHE, ABUJA
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