By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- THE Senate has confirmed Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, CDS and other Service Chiefs forwarded to it for screening by President Bola Tinubu.
Others were Major General Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff and Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Chief of Air Staff.
Speaking before the nominees were screened, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said only a few questions would be asked and they would go into a closed-door session to interact with the service chiefs on national security matters not meant for public knowledge.
The confirmation was after a closed-door session that lasted hours.
Earlier, the Immediate past Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Defence, CDS, Lt General Olufemi Oluyede, has called on the Federal Government to empower the Police through funding to relieve the military from engaging in internal security and for it to concentrate on its constitutional responsibility of concentrating on the defence of external security of the country.
Speaking on Wednesday, when he appeared before the Senate for the screening exercise of the CDS and other appointed Service Chiefs by President Bola Tinubu, Oluyede also lamented that inadequate funding for the military was affecting maximum performance.
Oluyede, who highlighted his over 30 years of military service, during which he obtained several professional qualifications and attended various strategic courses, described his tenure as Chief of Army Staff as challenging but noted that insecurity in Nigeria has reduced significantly under his watch.
He, however, stressed the need for greater support from Nigerians and increased resources for the military, lamenting that inadequate funding limits the fight against terrorism.
Oluyede, who urged the government to prioritise local production of military equipment, described the reliance on imported hardware as costly and unsustainable, just as he appealed to lawmakers to enact legislation to regulate the sharing of sensitive information.
He said, “I believe the police need to be restructured and strengthened. Many of the internal security duties currently handled by the military rightly belong to the police. Empowering the Nigeria Police Force will allow the Army to focus more on external defence and counterterrorism operations.
“The fight against insecurity requires a whole-of-society approach. Security should not be left solely to the armed forces. Every citizen, institution, and community has a role to play in making Nigeria safer.”
During his appearance before the Senate for screening as Chief of Defence Staff, General Oluyede received warm commendations from lawmakers, who praised his leadership and commitment in the fight against insecurity.
Senator Akpabio, before inviting the nominee to speak, commended his service record, noting that Nigerians had celebrated his appointment as Chief of Army Staff due to his reputation as a field officer who led from the front.
Akpabio said, “You are not a general who sits in the office. You have been in the theatre of warfare, serving the nation meritoriously. Since you assumed office, there has been no part of Nigeria where the Boko Haram flag has been hoisted. You have reduced attacks to isolated incidents and saved the nation from countless threats. We are proud of you.”
He then invited the nominee to introduce himself and share his experiences and vision for the new role.
On his part, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas kicked against the proposed against the Bill seeking to establish Nigerian Coast Guard that seeks to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard to be charged with the responsibility of securing maritime zones within Nigeria.
The Nominee, who noted that the creation would amount to the duplication of agencies, said that half of such money for the creation of a guard should be given to the Navy to work.
Details later…
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