The Nation Newspaper

Tag: service chiefs

  • Emergency rule: Senate, service chiefs meet Thursday

    Emergency rule: Senate, service chiefs meet Thursday

    The Senate and Service Chiefs will meet Thursday for briefing on the state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

    This followed the resolution of the upper chamber to receive the security chiefs in plenary and ask for the progress achieved since the declaration of state of emergency in the northeastern states.

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba said the meeting earlier scheduled for Tuesday had to be shifted till Thursday this week following the suspension of plenary on Tuesday.

    The Senate had suspended plenary to enable All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators to attend a board meeting of the party in Abuja.

    In addition, the sitting was suspended in honour of a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Raphael Oloye Nomiye, who died at the weekend.

    It is not clear whether the briefing will be in camera or open but feelers indicated the crucial meeting would be closed door briefing due to the sensitivity of issues at stake.

    Those expected at the meeting are – the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Dele Ezeoba, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar and the Director General of the State Security Service, Ekpenyong Ita.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, explained that it was necessary for the Senate to suspend plenary in honour of the House of Representatives who lost a member and to enable APC Senators attend their meeting.

    Ekweremadu said: “We normally suspend plenary any time we lost any of our colleagues in the Senate.

    “Over the weekend we lost a member of the House of Representatives and after consultation with the leadership of the House, we felt that what we had is one National Assembly, that going forward anytime we lose any of our colleagues either in the House or in the Senate, we should be able to give the person the honour of suspending plenary in both chambers.”

     

  • Emergency rule: Reps summon Service chiefs

    Emergency rule: Reps summon Service chiefs

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday, summoned the Service Chiefs to brief the House on Thursday at plenary, on the current security situation in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that President Goodluck Jonathan, on November 6, sent a letter to the National Assembly seeking the extension of emergency rule in the three affected states.

    The resolution emanated from a motion moved by Mulikat Akande-Adeola( PDP-Oyo), the Majority leader, which was unanimously adopted without debate.

    Akande-Adeola, said the House on May 21, considered and adopted the report on the state of emergency (certain states of the federation) proclamation, 2013 by a majority votes of 253.

    She added that by virtue of the provisions of section 305 (6) (c), of the 1999 Constitution, the proclamation would elapse after six months from the date of approval.

    Section 305 (6) ( c) states that,” Provided that the National Assembly may, before the expiration of the period of six months aforesaid, extend the period for the proclamation of the state of emergency to remain in force from time to time for a further period of six months by resolution passed in like manner.”

    The legislator said that, President Jonathan, in a letter to the House on November 12 provided a detailed report by the Chief of Army Staff on the current security situation in the affected states.

    She said that it was pertinent for the service chiefs to brief the House on the current security situation in the states.

    This, she added became necessary in view of the efforts made, so far, by security personnel deployed to the affected states,

    Meanwhile, the House has mandated the Committees on Commerce and Justice to investigate the propriety or otherwise, the appointment of foreign institutions to manage the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund (NSWF).

    The committees are to report back to the House within two weeks.

    The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by the Minority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos) which was adopted.

    NAN reports that, three foreign institutions: Goldman Sachs, UBS and Credit Swiss, had been appointed to manage the fund.

     

     

  • Court voids appointment of service chiefs

    Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday voided the appointment of the nation’s three service chiefs.

    The judge declared as illegal and unconstitutional, the appointment of the Chief of Air Staff,  Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Naval Staff by the President without “first seeking and obtaining the confirmation of the National Assembly.”

    He granted an order restraining “the President from further appointing service chiefs for the country without first obtaining the confirmation of the National Assembly.”

    The judgment was on a suit instituted in 2008 by rights activist, Festus Keyamo.

    Keyamo had argued that the practice of side-stepping the constitutional requirement of National Assembly, in the appointment of service chiefs, began under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    He stated that subsequent administrations have adopted the illegal practice.

    By implication, it means that such appointments made before now without the confirmation of the National Assembly were unconstitutional.

    Keyamo had in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/611/2008 sought a determination of the following questions:

    * Whether by the combined interpretation of the provisions of Section 218 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and Section 18 of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the President can appoint the service chiefs of the federation without the confirmation of the National Assembly first sought and obtained.

    * Whether Section 18 (1) and (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 is not in conformity with the provision of the 1999 Constitution so as to fall within the category of existing laws under Section 315 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, that the President, may, by order, modify its text, to bring it into conformity with the provisions of the Constitution.

    He also sought the following orders:

    * A declaration that the appointment of Service Chiefs for the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the President, without the confirmation of the National Assembly is illegal, unconstitutional and void.

    *A declaration that Section 18 (1) & (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, is in conformity with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution so as not to fall within the category of existing laws under Section 315 (2) – of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, that the President, may, by order, modify its text, to bring it into conformity with the provisions of the Constitution.

  • Jonathan tasks new services chiefs on terrorism, oil theft

    Jonathan tasks new services chiefs on terrorism, oil theft

    President Goodluck Jonathan has charged the leadership of the country’s armed forces to deal decisively with the twin security challenges confronting the nation, terrorism and crude oil theft.

    Specifically, the president tasked the new service chiefs to come up with a new security strategy to combat the threat of terrorism and crude oil theft.

    Besides, the president also promised to give succor to families of members of the armed forces who lost their lives in active service to the nation and on international duties.

    He gave the charge on Monday when he decorated the newly appointed service chiefs with their new ranks.

    The President was assisted by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

    While wives of the service chiefs stood by while the decoration lasted.

    The brief event which took place at the Presidential Council Chamber, Abuja, saw the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sahad Ibrahim been decorated with his new rank.

    Before the new posting he was a Vice Admiral.

    Also decorated were the newly appointed Chief of Navy Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, formerly, Rear Admiral and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Bade, formerly Vice Marshal.

    The service chiefs were accompanied to the ceremony by their wives and other close relatives.

    Jonathan in his brief remark said, “I will like to use this forum to specially charge you to rise to the many security challenges confronting our nation today. More specifically the Chief of Naval Staff along with his officers and men has the honourary responsibility of up scaling security in our territorial waters.

    “The unacceptable rising incidences of crude theft must be tackled frontally. I expect the Chief of Naval Staff and other serving Chiefs to immediately go to work to urgently bring the issue if crude oil theft to an end.

    “May I further reiterate that the security of life and properties in all parts of this country is a sacred obligation which our administration will do everything in its power to live up to. We cannot allow threat to national security to compromise our national transformation effort.

    “While we are determined to reposition Nigeria for sustained growth and development, we shall proactively prosecute the fight against terrorism with total commitment and effectively check the activities of all criminal elements in our dear land. In this regard we will step initiatives aimed at strengthening and repositioning our security agencies for greater efficiency to discharge their constitutional responsibilities.”

    He also noted that the newly appointed officers together with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ehijerika, who retained his position, had been appointed in recognition of their notable attributes of patriotism, excellence, loyalty, dedication, courage and unwavering faith in Nigeria.