₦airaland Forum

Shortly after the appointments of New Service Chiefs on Monday, Buhari while addressing the service chiefs told them that their nominations would be sent to the National Assembly for confirmation.

“Legally, you are in acting capacity until the National Assembly accepts you,” the President said.

“It is only then that you will take the oath of office. Thereafter, we will sit down and talk in more detail.”

Based on the President’s comment and perhaps based on the fact that the last set of Service chiefs were screened and approved by the Senate, a concerned citizen Chinedu Peters tweeted at Mr. Saraki at 5:25 p.m. on Monday urging him and his colleagues to immediately call off their recess to clear the new military chiefs.

Mr Saraki who seemed unfamiliar with the service chief appointment rules replied Chinedu Peters via tweeter saying that "Appointment of service chiefs is an exclusive function of Mr President. Senate can only approve Ministerial, parastatals etc"

It turns out though that Saraki was wrong seeing that a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, had on July 1, 2013 ruled that any appointment of Service chiefs by the president without approval of the National Assembly is unconstitutional and illegal.

Justice Adamu Bello declared the appointments of the service chiefs without National Assembly’s approval as null and void because they did not conform to Section 18 (1) and (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A20, Laws of the Federation.

The case, instituted by Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, had challenged the practice of appointing military chiefs by the President without seeking the approval of the National Assembly.

Mr. Keyamo had argued in court that the appointments of service chiefs, which are political appointments, could not be different from other political appointments that require the confirmation of the National Assembly such as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; ministers, and so on.

Based on that judgment, which has not been appealed till date, former President Goodluck Jonathan sought and got the approval of the National Assembly in January 2014 when he appointed Alex Badeh as Chief of Defence Staff, Kenneth Minimah as Chief of Army Staff, Usman Jibrin as Chief of Naval Staff and Adesola Nunayon Amosu as Chief of Air Staff.

Mr. Saraki was already a Senator during the period, and it is unclear why he is now claiming that the National Assembly has no role to play in the appointment of the new Service chiefs.

Peep Tweets between Chinedu Peters and Bukola Saraki below....

Chinedu Peters @chinair
I hope @bukolasaraki & the senate will as promised come out of their break to confirm the appointment of the new service chiefs immediately

5:25 PM - 13 Jul 2015

Bukola Saraki (APC)

✔@bukolasaraki
@chinair Appointment of service chiefs is an exclusive function of Mr President. Senate can only approve Ministerial, parastatals etc

7:08 PM - 13 Jul 2015

News Via: http://watchdognews.net/saraki-surrenders-total-power-to-buhari-unfamiliar-with-service-chief-appointment-rules/

Reports circulating on Monday stated that the National Industrial Court Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, had ordered that the 22 sacked local government chairmen in Rivers state be reinstated immediately.

This order was conflicting that of the Federal High Court sitting in Port harcourt on July 9, which nullified the May 23 local government elections held in the state.

In his ruling in a case brought by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Justice Akanbi the presiding Judge ruled that the poll conducted by the Augustine Ahiauzu-led Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission was illegal.

The Court further held that the election was conducted in disobedience of an injunction.

The PDP had boycotted the election citing court injunction, which ordered that the status quo be maintained.

Today, July 14, The National Industrial Court Yenegoa has denied that it granted any order reinstating the 22 local government chairmen in Rivers.

News Via: http://watchdognews.net/yenegoa-court-denies-granting-order-to-reinstate-sacked-lg-chairmen-in-rivers/

Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna State Governor in a statement said that Nigeria must do away with its “corrupt” oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or stand the risk of itself being destroyed. He said this on Monday at the 7th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series in Abuja, where he was a guest speaker.

In his words “If you don’t kill the NNPC, it will kill Nigeria.”

Mr. El-Rufai said the NNPC has become so entrenched in corruption that the only way out for Nigeria is not to attempt to salvage the corporation, but to destroy it and create a new oil company.

He said he hoped President Muhammadu Buhari will implement that proposal.

The governor said as a former director general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, he was confident a messy organisation could be disbanded and turned into a useful one.

He said NNPC has become so corrupt and arrogant that it runs a parallel government and unilaterally decides what it remits to a nation of 170 million people, while its hundreds of employees feed fat on Nigeria’s resources.

In the last three years, Mr. el-Rufai said the NNPC retained 42 per cent of Nigeria’s money, and remitted only 58 per cent.

“About N971bn was budgeted for subsidy payments in 2014 alone (more than twice that was eventually paid). You all recall how trillions of naira were paid out as oil subsidy in 2011, when only N254bn was appropriated. No one has been successfully prosecuted for this scam. Huge deficits in gas supply have ensured that the country’s thermal plants cannot produce power at optimal levels,” he said.

For more on this story go to http://watchdognews.net/nasir-el-rufai-if-you-dont-kill-nnpc-it-will-kill-nigeria/

That's good to know.

But why is Mrs Ibim still lying?? Amaechi owes a minimum of 3 months salary to most civil service arms. Instead of denying it he should be looking for way to make ammends with civil servants and settle salaries. Abi he carried state money to support Buhari!!He better pay civil servants otherwise protests shall continue.. shikena #PayOurSalaries

She looks good .
In other news Amaechi #PayOurSalaries

All because of KONJI!!!!Toh.. God forgive them. #PayOurSalaries Amaechi

Uh Oh that was a wrong statement from him. It is quite offensive to say the least! #PayOurSalaries Amaechi

Nope its not big. He looks good on it. Amaechi #PayOurSalaries

Thank God for giving her the man for her. still on the matter sha Amaechi should pay civil servants ooo #PayOurSalaries

From the moment i saw the initial post where APC claimed that Wike wanted to defect i knew it wasn't true. I'm glad that Felix Obuah has now clarified the true position of things. We pray for peace in Rivers State and may God grant Wike the strength, wisdom, and knowledge to handle the affairs of the state.