Mohammed Shosanya
The House of Representatives has confirmed the appointment of Gen. Olufemi Oluyede as the substantive Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army.
The confirmation came after a thorough screening conducted on Wednesday by the House Joint Committee on Defence and Army.
The process,chaired by key lawmakers, involved assessing the qualifications, experience, and strategic vision of the nominee for the leadership of the Nigerian Army.
His confirmation followed the submission of a report by the Joint Committee on the Screening and Confirmation of the Acting Chief of Army Staff.
The report was presented during Thursday’s plenary by the committee chairman, Hon. Babajimi Benson, who represents the Ikorodu Federal Constituency.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu,who presided over the session,granted the prayer for General Oluyede’s confirmation.
Providing a summary of the committee’s findings, Hon. Benson said: “On November 26, 2024, this parliament graciously mandated us to screen the Acting Army Chief. The screening exercise took place on Wednesday, during which we reviewed his credentials and engaged him on critical issues, including inter-agency collaboration and civilian-military relations.
“Based on our assessment, General Olufemi Oluyede demonstrated that he is both fit and capable for this role. He gave an impressive account of himself, and we concluded that this House should approve his appointment.”
Following the presentation,the House unanimously approved the committee’s recommendation, confirming General Oluyede’s appointment as Chief of Army Staff
Prior to his question before his colleagues, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu,said:“There is only one recommendation in this report. That recommendation says that the ad-hoc committee carefully and thoroughly engaged with the nominee for the position of the Chief of Army Staff and was satisfied with his academic and professional qualifications, exposure, character, conduct, experience and general performance.
“The ad-hoc committee also observed that the nominee displayed wide and in-depth knowledge of strategies and tactics during his acting capacity. The committee hereby recommend that General Oluyede be confirmed as Chief of Army Staff,” he said.
Kalu then asked, “Carried?,” to which lawmakers present responded: carried.
The report noted that: “The nominee (Gen Oluyede) reiterated his vast experience in war and negotiation skills having served in critical war zones. He informed the ad-hoc committee that he was exposed to war situation similar to what exists in Nigeria today and pledged to bring all these experiences to bear in the performance of his duties when confirmed as the Chief of Army Staff.
“Other areas covered during the screening include his strategic security knowledge and vision; funding; war on terror, insurgency and banditry; health and welfare of soldiers; military equipment and upgrade of security architecture.
The report stated key priorities, including accountability and transparency in the management of public resources, internal security, recruitment, training and retraining of personnel, media relations, and discipline within the Army.
General Oluyede was earlier appointed as the Acting Chief of Army Staff following the death of General Taoreed Lagbaja.
