By NAOMI SHARANG

The Senate is to screen the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, retired Gen. Christopher Musa as the new Minister of Defence on Wednesday.

This is part of the Upper Chamber’s strategic response to the country’s security challenges.

Leader of the senate, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, made the disclosure in a statement by his Directorate on Media and Public Affairs, on Tuesday, emphasising the significance of the exercise to ensuring internal peace and stability.

Musa’s nomination followed the decision of the former Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru to resign from his position due to what he ascribed to health issues.

Consequently, President Bola Tinubu nominated the former defence chief as the new Minister of Defence through a letter transmitted to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday.

Bamidele said that the senate was already in possession of the request of Tinubu to screen his defence minister–nominee.

He added that the letter would be read on the floor of the senate on Wednesday.

“Subsequently, it will immediately proceed to the screening of the nominee consistent with Section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)”.

“We cannot delay such a request especially at this crucial time in the history of our fatherland.

“We are treating the request as a matter that directly touches the core interest of our nation so that the federal government can sustain its campaigns against bandits, extremists, terrorists and other forces undermining our national security.

“Since the president has declared a state of emergency on national security, both the Presidency and National Assembly must work hand in hand to ensure peace, stability and good government.

“The screening of the defence minister nominee is one of the ways to demonstrate such a synergy purely in the national interest,” Bamidele said.(NAN)

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