Breaking: Akpabio names Senate committees, shuts out PDP Senators, set to screen Service Chiefs

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The Senate Tuesday resolved to screen and possibly approve appointments of Service Chiefs and Chief of Defence Staff , forwarded to it by President Bola Tinubu at the committee of the whole in plenary this week.

This is as it named Senators Solomon Olamilekan Adeola ( APC Ogun West) as Chairman, Committee on Appropriation, Yemi Adaramodu (APC Ekiti South) as Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Titus Zam (APC Benue North-central) as Chairman, committee on Rules and Business , Sunday Karimi (APC Kogi West) as Chairman, Senate Services, Aliyu Wadada (SDP Nasarawa West) as Chairman, Committee on Public Accounts.

Others are Okechukwu Ezea ( LP Enugu East) as Chairman, Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and
Shehu Umar (APC Bauchi South), Chairman, Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence .

Planned screening and approval of the Service Chiefs by the Senate at Committee of the whole, as explained by President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio in plenary Tuesday, arose from the fact that standing committees for Defence, Army, Navy and Airforce , are yet to be constituted.

He added that the screening will be done expeditiously in line with request made to that effect by the President and the need for re – engineering of the security architecture.

The Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs are Major General Christopher Musa, Major General Taoheed Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogala (Chief of Naval Staff ) and Air Vice Marshall Halidu Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff).

He however unveiled to Senators , selection committee that would constitute the 69 Standing committees of the Senate.

The committee according him , would be chaired by him, while the Deputy President of the Senate , Jibrin Barau, would serve as Vice Chairman.

Other members of the selection committee are the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central), Ali Ndume (APC Borno South), David Umahi (APC Ebonyi South), Lola Ashiru (APC Kwara South), Olalere Oyewumi (PDP Osun West), Darlington Nwaokocha (LP Abia Central ) and Rufai Hanga (NNPP Kano Central) .

In all the six committees set up, no single PDP Senator, was made Chairman or vice Chairman.

Not even the Appropriation Committee which by rules and traditions, used to be deputised by Senator from any of the major minority party, was given to them as another APC Senator , Ali Ndume, is to deputise Senator Adeola.

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