Senate ratification: Throwing off prebendal inclinations in the scrutiny of Service Chiefs and Ambassadors

The accounts of recent developments in Nigeria are largely crawling along the lines of controversies, heating up the polity to no end. Issues of national concern have much been coloured with reservations and some level of resentments, particularly on contested matters which solutions appear not to be handy and in near sight. However, while these subjects continue to raise arguments and resentments, it is imperative that efforts must be mustered to bring into bear the most feasible solutions to some of these pressing matters.

One of the subjects of concern which borders on matters of national importance is that revolving around the appointment of new Service Chiefs in the Country. It is reminiscent that the resignation of the ex-Service Chiefs late January was a development that bears resonance to the clamour for their replacement, over the worsening of security situations in the Country. It would be recalled that following a resignation tendered by the Service Chiefs, a development that came after long contention on the call for their replacement, President Muhammadu Buhari had late January (26th) announced the acceptance of the resignation of the erstwhile Service Chiefs and their immediate replacement. The new appointees which are now set for confirmation are 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 are to replace the former 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.

The statement to the effect on the 26th, January 2021 by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina had read partly: “President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the immediate resignation of the service chiefs and their retirement from service. The President congratulates the new Service Chiefs, and urges them to be loyal and dedicated in the discharge of their responsibilities.”

Another development that trailed the replacement of the retired Service Chiefs, was their subsequent nomination by President Buhari in a close succession as non-career ambassadors. The nomination of the all-four immediate former service chiefs as non-career ambassadors-designate, was a subject which has generated reactions from various quarters. The presidency had announced on Thursday, February 4, 2021 that President Buhari has forwarded the names of all four — General Abayomi Olonisakin (Chief of Defence Staff), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (Chief of Army Staff), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff) who resigned and retired barely a week to the Senate for confirmation. While the new nominations has been made, the need to ratify their appointment by the law making body of the Federation, the National Assembly, is now the next agendum which itself is another subject calling for attention.

Following the need for confirmation, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday, directed the request of  President Buhari for the confirmation of the new Service Chiefs  to the joint committees on Army, Navy, and Air force for necessary screening. The President of the Senate, gave the committees, two weeks to carry out their assignments and report to Senate in plenary.  Similarly, the Senate President directed the committee on Foreign Affairs to screen the immediate past Service Chiefs who had been appointed by Buhari, as non-career ambassadors. The panel was asked to conclude its assignments and submit its report within two weeks.

The necessity to address matters of pressing concerns in the Country with firm grip is sine qua non. The inevitability of such firm approach is incontestable in the light of the heightening of acute deficiencies the prevailing circumstances have posed before the Country. These threatening problems demand nothing less than giving the most virile approach and the strongest concerted efforts possible to address the circumstances facing the Federation presently. The issues of security remain, no doubt, on the top burner of matters of contest currently heating up the polity. The escalation of insecurity threats have continued to generate contesting reactions which is posing dangers to peaceful coexistence in the Country.

Therefore, matters revolving around the appointment of new Service Chiefs become critical subjects of national concern. It therefore behooves the National Assembly to come up to play its oversight function in the most reasonable manner as the demands of their responsibilities and duties calls for. It is instructive to note that the prevailing web of circumstances which the Country is enmeshed in, demand that stricter measures be taking to issues of appointment of those to occupy key positions such as those of Service Chiefs bearing critical relevance to the workings of the Federation.

The implications that giving open ways to nominees to have their way into office without the depth of toughened scrutiny portend to the Country, bear dangers of grave consequences with the possibilities of irreparable damages. This is no less true of the nomination of ambassadors. The need to subject such nominees to the most reasonable test of scrutiny to question and justify their competence or otherwise cannot be over-emphasized. This is particularly imperative, given the significance of the position in the foreign missions of the Country. The worsening of Nigeria’s image in the international realm owing to image mismanagement and diplomatic inefficiencies by Nigerian ambassadors outside the Country is a matter of top concern. The deficiencies therefore call for positioning technocrats who understand the dynamics of the working patterns of diplomatic relations to man Nigeria’s foreign missions across nations of the globe. Since the architectures which the nominees before the Senate are meant to oversee are subjects of critical concerns, it is therefore demanding from the Senate to give no less than a non-negotiable scrutiny of the highest records of drilling to put nominees to the test of competence before the ratification of their appointment is sealed with confirmation. In this light, the interest of the Country should be placed on the informing front of leading instructions, instead of leaning on prebendal inclinations.