Senate Screens Acting Chief of Army Staff, Commends Nigerian Army’s Gallantry
By Matthew Eloyi
The Senate on Wednesday conducted a closed-door screening of the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, following President Bola Tinubu’s request for his confirmation.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’adua, opened the session by commiserating with Oluyede over the death of the late COAS, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja. Yar’adua highlighted Lagbaja’s significant contributions to the Nigerian Army, particularly his efforts to improve welfare and his innovations, such as establishing the Nigerian Army Aviation.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges, Yar’adua commended the bravery of the Nigerian Army and the armed forces. “I want to use this opportunity to commend the gallantry of the officers and men of the Nigerian Army and the armed forces in general for the successes recorded so far in the war against insurgency and other criminalities within the country. This they did to the extent that some of them laid their lives for that,” he stated.
The screening focused on evaluating Oluyede’s professional expertise and vision for addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges. Yar’adua noted that the acting COAS’s strategic knowledge would be vital in defending Nigeria from external aggression, maintaining its territorial integrity, and securing its borders.
“Your abilities to offer proposals toward finding solutions to military funding and welfare of personnel will be of interest to this country,” Yar’adua emphasised.
The session underscores the Senate’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s military leadership is equipped to tackle pressing security concerns and enhance the welfare of its personnel.
