Senate Resumes After Forced Adjournment Of Plenary

The Senate resumed sitting on March 23 amid a calm atmosphere after it forcefully adjourned plenary a week ago following the rancour caused by the Bill seeking the establishment of Armed Forces Service Commission.

The Bill, sponsored by the lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, aimed to create a window where the proposed Armed Forces Commission would recommend to a serving president, persons to be appointed as Service Chiefs.

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According to the Sponsor of the Bill, the piece of legislation would among others, address the “lopsided appointment” of heads of security agencies by the president.


This comes barely a month after the Senate confirmed the new set of service chiefs appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Contributing to debate, Senator Abaribe had said the function and powers of the Commission shall be to ensure that the composition or appointment of Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces reflects the federal character of Nigeria in the manner prescribed in section 217(3) of the 1999 Constitution.


It will also recommend to the president from among the best and most qualified, most educated and most experienced members of the Armed Forces for appointment as Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director of Military Intelligence, and Heads of other Arms-bearing Security Agencies and ensure that such appointments reflect the federal character of Nigeria.

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The Bill was however hotly contested across board with lawmakers split on it.

Some lawmakers argued that if established, the Commission would whittle-down the powers of the office of the President to execute the mandate of a Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

ID Gyang (PDP, Plateau North) was the first to support the bill. The proposed commission, he said, does not offend the constitution. And the principle of upholding federal character will strengthen the unity of Nigeria.
Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) noted that Section 219 of the constitution is clear and does not stop the National Assembly from seeking the establishment of a commission.


“Yes, there is an Army and Navy council. Let this National Assembly take the decision that representatives of the council shall become members of the commission,” he said.
“Those who may not want a standardized process of recruitment cannot run away from the fact that such decisions will be shrouded in secrecy, ” he added.

However, Senator Francis Alimekhena (APC, Edo North) carpeted the Bill, insisting that it will create disunity in the operation of the Armed Forces.
“The commission cannot take the function of the service chiefs and the Armed Forces will be caged. The service chiefs are in the best position to know the officers to recommend for promotion and so on. I urge the sponsor to look at it again,” he said.

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Ibrahim Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central) also opposed the bill, stating that the commission will be a mere creation of a bureaucratic set up and will not let the Armed Forces do what they are supposed to do.
It was Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West) who questioned why Abaribe would pick the current dispensation to bring up the bill.

“The appointment of the current service chiefs gave birth to this bill. It amounts to almost blackmailing the National Assembly. The sponsor has been a senator long enough, why now? The timing is wrong,” he continued.
Senators Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Adamu Bulkachuwa (Bauchi) and Danjuma Goje (Gombe) all spoke against the bill and asked the sponsor to drop it.


Consequently, the Senate President called for a voice vote, resulting to a ‘nays’ ruling by Lawan.
Dissatisfied by the reaction of colleagues, Abaribe stood up and called for physical voting by all lawmakers, standing on Order 73 of the Senate Standing Rule.

If allowed to prevail, the Order permits for a physical vote on an issue should a lawmaker be unsatisfied with the ruling and/or opinion of the Senate President or chairman of the plenary.
Abaribe’s request threw the Chamber into a rowdy session as many lawmakers opposed the order.
In a bid to calm the angry lawmakers and resolve the issue, Lawan called for an executive session.
To further calm already frayed nerves, the Senate President called for a closed-door meeting which lasted for 25 minutes after which he said: “We have agreed that the senate will work together in a nonpartisan manner and we have appealed to the Minority Leader to withdraw the Order 73“We have also appealed that he should withdraw the bill…he or any other lawmaker can bring it up in the future…”
Following the resolution of the general house, Senator Abaribe withdrew the Standing Order and stood down the bill with a view to having it returned after due review.

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