Service chiefs: Senate Asks President To Use Federal Character

The Senate passed for second reading a bill to establish the Armed Forces Service Commission on Tuesday.

The legislation wants the proposed agency to ensure that the President adhere strictly to Federal Character Commission principles in the appointment of service chiefs.

The law will also make it possible for aggrieved Nigerians to sue the commission if they feel it principles are ignored in service chiefs appointment.

If passed into law by both chambers and assented to by the President, the agitation for due process in such appointments would become a thing of the past.

The current service chiefs are Major General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin (Chief of Defence Staff), Major General Tukur Buratai (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Chief of Naval Staff), Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff), Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan (Chief of Defence Intelligence) and Major General Babagana Monguno (National Security Adviser)

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In his lead debate on Tuesday, the sponsor of the Armed Forces Service Commission (establishment) bill, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the bill, pursuant to Section 219 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) conferred some powers on the National Assembly.

According to him, the parliament in giving effect to the functions specified in Sections 217 218 of the constitution shall have the power to ensure that the composition armed forces of reflects federal character.

He also said the President has the power to appoint the CDS, COAS, CNS, CAS and heads of any other branch of the armed forces as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly.

He said, “The Federal Character Commission as one of the Federal Executive Bodies established under Section 153 (1) of the 1999 Constitution also has the constitutional mandate in Paragraph 8, Part 1 of the 3rd schedule to the constitution.”

A copy of the bill seen by our correspondent indicated that the Federal High Court shall have jurisdiction over all matter In the proposed legislation.

Also on Tuesday, the bill for the establishment of the Army University in Biu, the home town of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, scaled second reading on the floor of the Senate