The House of Representatives is set to screen the newly appointed service chiefs, on Wednesday.
Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, said the service chiefs will be screened behind closed doors for security reasons, Punch reports.
The service chiefs to be screened include – Maj. Gen. Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea lrabor – Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru – Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo – Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao – Chief of Air staff.
They will replace the erstwhile Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House had on Wednesday read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari asking for the confirmation of the new security heads.
The speaker had setup a panel comprised of chairmen, deputy chairmen and some members of the military-related standing committees, to be led by Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Mr Babajimi Benson.
“It will hold on Wednesday at 10am,” Benson said when he was contacted by Punch on Monday,
He, however, that the two legislative chambers- House and the Senate would conduct separate screening exercise. He said while the opening session would be open, the proper screening would be done in secret.
He said, “You know that for security issues, you don’t want to put information out there that the enemy will use against us. We will make some opening remarks but the main ‘question and answer’ session (would be behind closed doors).
“Nigerians should rest assure that we have moved (and adopted) several motions on insecurity and those resolutions are uppermost in our mind. We want safety and security to return to our national life. We are mindful of all that.”
The Senate committees responsible with oversight over Nigerian military are also billed to conduct a closed-door, separate screening exercise this week.