14th July, 2015
In response to criticism that followed his tweet on Monday, Senator Bukola Saraki, Nigeria’s Senate President has stated that he never meant that the Senate will not screen then confirm the Service Chiefs appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement issued Sanni Onogu, Chief Press Secretary to Saraki he noted that his boss was misunderstood. “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 to the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki on whether the Senate was consulted before the appointment of 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 extant laws and court pronouncements on the issue and therefore that the Senate will do the needful when the list of the new Service Chiefs is sent to it by Mr. President.
Saraki in a new tweet today said: “This is to clarify the earlier position which was not up to date and does not represent the position of the Senate President on the issue of screening of the newly appointed service chiefs . The Senate will perform its constitutional duty when it receives communication from the President on the appointments.
The tweet by Saraki has been deleted as at the time of filing this report.