9th February, 2021
President Muhammadu on Tuesday urged the Senate to confirm the immediate past Service Chiefs for appointment as non-career ambassadors.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan read Buhari’s letters of request on the floor at plenary.
The president had on February 4, forwarded the names of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate.
In a letter to Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate, the President said: “In accordance with section 171 (1), (2) (c) & sub-section (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed five (5) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate.”
The nominees are: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd ), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd).
The ex-service chiefs are now at the mercy of the Nigerian Senate who recommended their sack on different occasions.
On the 1st of December, 2020, the Nigerian senate made the third call for the sack of the service chiefs.
The debate was led by Kasim Shettima who presented a motion following the killings of 43 farmers in Borno State.
He said the Nigerian military in conjunction with other security agencies have not been able to quell the insurgency affecting the region in spite of the slogan by government officials that the insurgents have been technically defeated.
However, the President on January 26 succumbed to public pressure. He retired the service chiefs, who have overstayed their tenure for several years.