Why motion asking Buhari to appoint service chief from southeast was rejected by Senate – Saraki

– The Senate has rejected a motion asking President Buhari to appoint a service chief from the southeast

– The Senate leader accused the sponsor of the motion of “gross misunderstanding of the provisions of the Constitution on the matter”

– However, Senate President Saraki said the motion was moved with good intention but will definitely be misinterpreted if subjected to debate, thereby refusing to call for its adoption

The Senate on Tuesday, October 23, rejected a motion urging President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a military officer from southeast as service chief in line with the federal character principle as included in the constitution.

ThisDay reports that Senator Victor Umeh (APGA Anambra Central) had urged President Buhari to reconstitute membership of the National Defence Council and National Security Council, by appointing an officer from the southeast as service chief for equitable representation of the people of the region in the council.

TRACKNEWS.NG gathers that Senator Umeh’s argument was contained in a motion at the plenary titled “Urgent need to appoint a representative of the South East into the National Defence Council and National Security Council”

He explained that by virtue of Section 153(1) (g), more particularly third schedule part 1 of the 1999 Constitution, the council shall comprise of the president as the chairman, vice president as deputy chairman, minister of defence, chief of defence staff, chief of army staff, chief of naval staff, chief of air staff, and such other members as the president may appoint.

Senator Umeh said “the exclusion of the southeast from appointment of service chiefs will continue to cause the feeling of alienation, neglect and consequential agitation among the people of southeast”.

“The inclusion of the southeast among the service chiefs will automatically accord them membership of the National Defence Council and National Security Council and will go a long way in assuaging their feelings of isolation and neglect”.

Umeh was also “convinced that immediate appointment of an officer from the southeast as service chief will enhance the feeling of oneness among the southeasterners towards other parts of Nigeria”.

He explained that the council was constitutionally empowered to advise the president on matters relating to the defence of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria, and those relating to public security, including those effecting any organisation or agency established by law for ensuring the security of the country.

The legislator, therefore, expressed concern that none of the service chiefs as appointed to the council comes from the southeast region “as firmly enshrined in the Constitution through the spirit and principle of federal character”.

Contributing to the motion, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia South), who wondered why President Buhari excluded the region from the council, alleged misinterpretation of the Constitution by the President.

Abaribe, who said he had in the past led the southeast caucus in the National Assembly to the president on the matter, alleged that “it’s a deliberate attempt not to include the region as part of the security architecture of this country”.

However, the deputy Senate leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC Kebbi South), accused the sponsor of the motion of “gross misunderstanding of the provisions of the Constitution on the matter” and warned against politicizing security issues in the country.

He cautioned the Senate to be extremely careful over the matter, maintained that “it has never been a deliberate policy of any government since 1999 to exclude any section of the country”.

Also, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC Kano North), described the motion as misleading and asked its sponsor to apologise to the lawmakers for misleading them.

He argued that the ministers of internal affairs, and foreign affairs, who are members of the Council were omitted by Senator Umeh in his motion, stressing that the incumbent minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, hails from the southeast.

Also coming from a constitutional point of order 153(g), Senator Mao Ohunabuwa (PDP Abia North), said it’s a security matter that should not be trivialised and therefore sought the support of his colleagues on the matter.

Senate President Bukola Saraki said although the motion was moved with good intention but will definitely be misinterpreted if subjected to debate.

He said: “We may not be able to reach a consensus on the matter because senators will be sharply divided on the issue.”

He therefore reportedly refused to call for the adoption of the prayers associated with the motion but only said “all issues raised are well noted.”

Meanwhile, TRACKNEWS NG previously reported that Senator Saraki said the National Assembly would continue to mount necessary pressure to get presidential assent on the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).

Saraki spoke at a dinner as part of activities at the ongoing 24th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Monday, October 22.

The dinner which ended late in the night was attended by trade experts, industrialists, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operators and financial experts among other dignitaries.

According to Saraki, the resolve by the legislature to mount pressure to ensure the bill gets presidential assent has become necessary, given its importance to the development of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.