Reps approve appointment of new service chiefs

To this end, the House confirmed the appointment of Major-General Christopher Gwabin Musa as Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel lkechukwu Ogalla as Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff.

The House Committee had on Monday screened four appointees following the request forwarded to the House by the President.

In his address, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major General Christopher Musa unveiled plans to adopt a clear leadership concept which serves as the roadmap supporting the implementation of relevant guiding principles by Armed Forces of Nigeria.

According to him, “the significance of this roadmap is to foster a highly disciplined, cohesive and inspired AFN ready to achieve its constitutional roles, facilitate national security and enhance sustainable socio-economic development in the country. In this regard, the broad -outline of my leadership concept shall be ‘To Nurture a Professional Armed Forces of Nigeria that is People Centric, Capable of Meeting its Constitutional Responsibilities in a Joint and Collaborative Environment’.

“Accordingly, my leadership concept will be hinged on 3 pillars which include being people-centricity, prioritizing troops’ welfare while deepening jointness and interagency collaboration.

“I recognize the significance of leading the thousands of devoted and distinguished service men and women to provide a secure and peaceful environment for the Nigerian people to freely engage in their legitimate enterprise in line with the constitutional mandate of the AFN. In this regard, the AFN under my leadership will be people-centric by prioritizing and safeguarding our people and their legitimate way of life as prescribed by the Nigerian Constitution.”

On his part, the 23rd Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja pledged to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained Force.

While acknowledging that Nigeria’s security environment has, over the past two decades, been impacted adversely on our socio-economic and political lives, he lamented that “the episodic crises of the past have now become enduring, thereby making governance and the rule of law more challenging for successive administrations. Today’s painful reality is that insecurity has distorted our developmental plans and aspirations of a strong, prosperous, globally competitive, and influential nation.”

To this end, he underscored the need for proactive, adaptive, and inclusive leadership more needed in our security environment of today.