President Bola Tinubu on Monday in a surprise move, retired all the Service Chiefs, the Comptroller General of Customs, and the Inspector General of Police.
The president has since nominated their replacements.
It would be recalled that the President appointed — Maj. Gen. C.G Musa Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. T. A Lagbaja Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla Chief of Naval Staff and AVM H.B Abubakar Chief of Air Staff. Unlike other appointments, the Armed Forces Act makes it mandatory for the two chambers to separately grill the designated service chiefs.
For ministerial appointments, confirmation by the senators is required, however, in the case of the service chiefs, each chamber has the power to grill the appointees.
“(1) The President, may, after consultation with the Chief of Defence Staff and subject to confirmation by the National Assembly, appoint such officers (in this Act referred to as “the Service Chiefs”) as he thinks fit, in whom the command of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as the case may be, and their Reserves shall be vested,” the Act reads.
In 2021, the current service chiefs were grilled by the security committees in the House and the Senate before the confirmation of their appointments.
In the House, a joint Committee, comprising the Army, Navy, Air Force and Defence, screened the appointees, while a similar thing happened in the Senate.
However, the announcement of the appointment was done while the lawmakers were on holiday, and both chambers are yet to set up the Committee
It would be recalled that the two chambers embarked on holiday, and are not expected to be back until July 4th.
