New Service Chiefs: Probing Saraki’s witles claims

By appointing the Service Chiefs, President Mohammadu Buhari exercised his constitutional prerogative. But failure of the National Assembly to screen and consequently approve or disapprove such appointments, as the case may be, is a monumental legislative blunder.

President Mohammadu Buhari earlier this week relieved the Service Chiefs of their duties and almost immediately appointed new ones. This shake-up in the nation’s security department has been anticipated since Mr. President’s assumption of office. The absence of which many claim is responsible for the dawdling in the nation’s military assault on the belligerent, infamous sect called Boko Haram.

Following Mr. President’s recent actions, it was expected that the National Assembly would return from their recess to screen the candidates nominated by the president. But the senate leadership did not consider it expedient. What we got rather was a shocking claim by the senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki.

Mr. Buhari understands that screening of political appointees by the National Assembly is a constitutional process. Thus he had reportedly told the new Service Chiefs shortly after their appointment on Monday that their nomination would be sent to the National Assembly for approval. “Legally you are in acting capacity, until the National Assembly accepts you…” Mr. Buhari told them. But this long-standing legislative process was unabashedly brushed aside by the senate.

The senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki took to the twitter and delivered a stunning charade that unveiled his ineptitude as the senate president. “Appointment of Service Chiefs is an exclusive function of Mr. President. Senate can only approve ministerial, parastatals etc,” he claimed. But in this claim I see the height of ignorance.

In July 2013, Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled as “illegal and unconstitutional any appointment of Service Chiefs by the president without approval of the National Assembly.” And till date, this judgment has not been appealed. It was on the  heels of this judgment that former president Goodluck Jonathan sought the approval of the National Assembly in January 2014 when he appointed Kenneth Minimah, Usman Jibrin, Alex Bade, Adesola Nunayon Amosu  as Chiefs of Army Staff, Naval Staff, Defence Staff and Air Staff respectively. Incidentally, Senator Saraki was already a senator during this period. So am I really right to say he is ignorant of the legislative processes? Or is it a deliberate ruse to incubate President Burari’s dream Service Chiefs? Or are their other political calculations to this?

Whatever it is, Senator Bukola Saraki, and of course the senate leadership has failed in a simple legislative task. One of the secrets, or is it attributes, of success is to be brilliant in basic, ordinary things. This is not the kind of system Nigerians want to see. Senator Saraki must sit up and be seen to be ready to anchor every legislative proceedings and not trivialise any of it.

However, it will be in the interest of the public for the senate president to explain why he claims the National Assembly has no role in the appointment of service chiefs.