The Senate, on Tuesday, confirmed the appointment of former service chiefs as non-career ambassadors-designate.
Their confirmation followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Mohammed Bulkachuwa.
President, Ahmad Lawan, had on February 10, directed the Committee on Foreign Affairs to confirm General Abayomi Olonisakin (retd.) (Ekiti); Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.) (Borno); Vice Admiral Ibok- Ette Ibas (retd.) (Cross River; Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar(retd.) (Bauchi); and Air Vice Marshal Muhammad S. Usman (retd.) (Kano) as non-career ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
An attempt by the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, to draw the attention of his colleagues to a petition against their confirmation was stopped by the President of Senate, Ahmad Lawan.
The Senate Minority Leader Enyinaya Abaribe, however, questioned the nomination and confirmation of the ex-service chiefs when the Senate had on three different occasions called for their sack.
Senator Abaribe also questioned why the petitions against the former service chiefs were dismissed without explanations.
But Senate President Ahmad Lawan dismissed Senator Abaribe’s concerns, ruling that the nomination of the former service chiefs cannot be nullified simply because the upper chamber had called for their sack, noting that this is totally a different assignment.
The Senate President promptly stopped any further debate on the matter.
In his concluding statement, Senator Lawan added that the former service chiefs have served the country to the best of their abilities.