“We expect our Armed Forces to take the fight to the insurgents and bandits,” the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said.
He made the remark on Tuesday shortly after lawmakers in the Senate confirmed the service chiefs during plenary in the upper chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.
The Senate had confirmed Major General Lucky Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff, and Major General Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff.
Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo and Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao were also confirmed as the Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff respectively.
Presiding over the plenary, the Senate President commended the new appointees, saying there were so many calls for the replacement of the former service chiefs and the President had done that.
He thanked the former service chiefs for doing their best and advised their successors that Nigerians expected so much from them.
Senator Lawan called for inter-agency and cooperation among the security agencies and asked the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Air Force to take the lead in the fight against crime.
“We are in a very serious situation. The security situation must be improved, and the buck is now going to stop on their table as far as operations are concerned.
“We in the Senate will continue to support our Armed Forces in whatever way is possible. With this, I wish them all the success and we promise them and indeed Nigerians that we will support them in whatever way that its possible,” he said.
Up To The Task?
The confirmation of the service chief’s appointments followed the report of the Senate committee presented to the lawmakers by Senator Aliyu Wamakko.
Senator Barau Jibrin, in his contribution, believes going by the resumes of the service chiefs, they were highly capable and up to the task they were nominated for.
On his part, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege commended Senator Wamakko and his committee for a very thorough and terrific job.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari took his time to seek out the very best in the Armed Forces.
“The intellect and exploit of these nominees are very well documented in this report. The nominee for Chief of Defence Staff is a friend I have known for so many years and I can personally attest and corroborate Wammako’s confirmation as a competent and patriotic person.
“Major General Ibrahim Attahiru is also someone I have known for a very long time. I have no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari has selected the very best men to pilot the military affairs. I wholeheartedly support these nominations,” the lawmaker told his colleagues.
