The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of the immediate former Service Chiefs as non-career ambassadors following the report from the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on February 5 nominated and sent the names of the former service chiefs to the Senate for confirmation as non-career ambassadors.
This caused widespread agitation among Nigerians who condemned their nominations, saying it was a means to protect them from facing prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged abuses committed by the Nigerian military under their watch.
The confirmed former Service chiefs are,
General Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd) Ekiti State
Lt. General Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd) Borno State
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete E. Ibas (Rtd) Cross River State
Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar (Rtd) Bauchi State
Also confirmed was Air Vice Marshal Muhammad S. Usman (Rtd) Kano State.
The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, in his report, said the appointments were made in line with section 171(40) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“Their experiences as Service Chiefs and in the military where they rose to the highest ranks in their careers have made them eminently qualified; and that the nominees were very knowledgeable and articulate in their response to questions directed at them by the Committee,” he said.