The newly appointed Service Chiefs arrived at the National Assembly Complex at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 29, accompanied by other senior military officers, Persecondnews reports.
Their appearance followed the Senate’s decision to bring forward the screening to Wednesday, reversing an earlier plan to hold it next week.
The announcement came shortly after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read a correspondence from President Bola Tinubu, seeking the confirmation of General Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff.
Akpabio stated that the rescheduling was necessary to enable the new military chiefs to assume their duties without delay.
Tinubu had urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the confirmation process to ensure continuity and effective coordination of the nation’s security structure.
Persecondnews had reported that President Tinubu announced sweeping changes in the military hierarchy on October 24, replacing Gen. Christopher Musa with Gen. Oluyede as CDS.
He also appointed Maj.-Gen. W. Shaibu as the Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke as the Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as the Chief of Naval Staff.
Maj.- Gen. E. A. P. Undiendeye retains his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence, according to a statement issued last Friday by Sunday Dare, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication.
All appointments take immediate effect.
Gen. Oluyede, who only assumed office as Chief of Army Staff last year following the death of General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, now succeeds Gen. Musa as CDS.
The outgoing chiefs, Musa, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and Air Marshal Bala Abubakar, had been in office since June 2023 and led major operations against Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed bandits in the North-East and North-West regions.
While their tenure recorded notable gains, persistent attacks by gunmen across the country have heightened calls for a shift in strategy and leadership.
Details later…
Leave a comment