Akpabio Unveils Senate Committees Names And Chairmen

Senate President Godswill Akpabio today announced some standing committees, namely Appropriations, Public Accounts, Ethics, and Public Petitions and Establishment.

Akpabio, who spoke at Tuesday’s plenary session, revealed that Senator Solomon Adeola would chair the Appropriations Committee, while Senator Ahmed Wadada is to chair the Public Accounts Committee.

The Announced Special Senate Committees and Their Chairpersons:

• Rules and Business — Titus Zam (chairman), Opeyemi Bamidele (deputy)
• Senate Services — Sunday Karimi (chairman), Williams Eteng Jonah (deputy)
• Ethics and Public Petitions — Okechukwu Ezea (chairman), Khalid Ibrahim Mustapha (deputy)
• Public Accounts — Aliu Wadada Ahmed (chairman), Onyeka Peter (deputy)
• National Security and Intelligence — Shehu Buba Umar (chairman), Asuquo Ekpenyong (deputy)
• Legislative Compliance — Garba Musa Maidoki (chairman), Ede Dafinone (deputy)
• Media — Adeyemi Adaramodu (chairman), Salisu Shuaibu Afolabi (deputy)
• Appropriations — Olamilekan Adeola (chairman), Ali Ndume (deputy)

Service Chiefs’ Confirmation

The Senate President also read a letter from President Bola Tinubu addressed to the Senate seeking the confirmation of recently appointed service chiefs. He said the service chiefs would be screened by the entire senate in the senate chamber on a yet-to-be-announced date.

Last week, the President similarly asked the House of Representatives to confirm the newly appointed service chiefs. The Speaker, Abass Tajudeen, read the President’s letter at opened Thursday plenary session.

On June 19, Tinubu replaced all the service chiefs with immediate effect. The ousted security chiefs included retired Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (National Security Adviser), Lucky Irabor (Chief of Defence Staff), Faruk Yahaya (Chief of Army Staff), Awwal Gambo (Chief of Naval Staff), and Isiaka Amao (Chief of Air Staff).

The new appointees include Nuhu Ribadu (National Security Adviser), Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff), and AVM Hassan Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff).

The new office holders have since resumed in an acting capacity awaiting confirmation by the National Assembly.