The House of Representatives has approved the appointment of Maj. General Lucky Eluonye Onyenucheya Irabor; Maj. General Ibrahim Attahiru; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo; and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao as Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff of the Armed Forces respectively.

Presenting the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on Screening of Nominees for Appointment as Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs, the Chairman, Hon. Babajimi Benson (APC: Lagos)

mentioned that the Ad-hoc Committee had conducted the screening exercise on Wednesday, 17 February 2021 and asked questions bordering on ethics and integrity; funding of the military, inter-agency cooperation, and external military relationships.

Other topical issues presented to the nominees focused on military-civilian relationship; military hardware and upgrades; Nigeria’s war on terror, insurgency and banditry; the role of the military in politics; health and welfare of personnel and troops; and the professional skills and expertise of the nominees. According to Hon. Benson, the Ad-hoc Committee had expressed satisfaction with the responses provided by the nominees and accordingly recommended that the House of Representatives confirm their appointment.

It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Wednesday, 10 February 2021 had received a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari requesting the confirmation of the appointment of the nominees.