Senate to screen chiefs behind closed doors today

THE Senate committees responsible for the oversight of the Nigerian military forces will start the screening of the newly appointed service chiefs behind closed doors today, according to a report in Punch newspaper.

This was disclosed by the Chairman Senate Committee on Navy, Thompson Sekibo, last night.

The screening will start  almost a week that the Senate President referred 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.

Lawal gave the committees two weeks to carry out their assignments and report to the Senate in plenary.

The appointees for confirmation are Maj. Gen. Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea lrabor as 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 as Chief of Air staff.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator, Ali Ndume, had given a hint, last week, that the service chiefs might be screened away from the prying eyes of the public, by saying, “it’s not advisable to screen service chiefs in the open.”

He had said, “If you do, it means you will be compromising the security of the country, especially if there are issues that bother on national security.”