A controversial message posted on the Twitter handle of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki concerning the appointments of service cheifs aroused an intense uproar which prompted his media team to make clarifications.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki
Senate President Bukola Saraki's message through his Twitter handle on service chiefs has stirred up bitter criticisms from several quarters. He revealed in his tweet the power of President Muhammadu Buhari to by-pass the consent of the Senate in the nomination of service chiefs.
Saraki who was reacting to the President’s statement on Monday that the newly-appointed service chiefs would function in acting capacity pending the Senate’s approval tweeted that, “Appointment of service chiefs is an exclusive function of Mr. President. Senate can only approve ministerial, parastatals etc.”
Commentators who took exception to the Tweet said that Saraki’s assertion ran contrary to the pronouncement of a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, which on July 1, 2013 ruled that any appointment of Service Chiefs by the President without approval of the National Assembly is unconstitutional and illegal.
Justice Adamu Bello had declared the appointments of Service Chiefs without the National Assembly’s approval as null and void because they did not conform with Section 18 (1) and (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A20, Laws of the Federation.
Saraki's media team responded with the claim that senate president's message has been misunderstood by commenters.
The statement read in part, “The attention of the Media Office of the Senate President has been drawn to a story making the rounds to the effect that the Senate does not need to screen or confirm the new service chiefs appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“However, we want to make it abundantly clear that based on inquiries made from the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on whether the Senate was consulted before the appointment of the new service chiefs was announced, he had in response tweeted that the appointment of service chiefs is the exclusive function of the President as stipulated by the constitution.
“Let it be known that his comment is now being misinterpreted to say the Senate will neither screen nor confirm the new service chiefs. This is far from the truth.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Saraki has said his comment is without prejudice to the extant laws and court pronouncements on the issue and that the Senate will do the needful when the list of the new service chiefs is sent to it by Mr. President.”