The Senate has initiated the confirmation process for General Christopher Musa (retd.), President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for the position of Minister of Defence.
This follows the resignation of the former minister, Mohammed Badaru, on health grounds.
The screening commenced on Wednesday after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read President Tinubu’s formal request, which urged the lawmakers to approve the former Chief of Defence Staff as Badaru’s replacement.
The Senate rules were suspended to allow the retired General into the chamber for the exercise.
In his nomination letter, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to reinforce Nigeria’s security architecture and reposition the defence ministry amid ongoing national security challenges.
General Musa, who was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1991, has held several key appointments, including Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai and Chief of Defence Staff until his retirement.
His predecessor, Mohammed Badaru, resigned on Monday, stating that ill health prevented him from fulfilling his duties effectively.
Badaru had recently faced public criticism for remarks made in a BBC Hausa interview regarding counter-terrorism operations.
The Senate is anticipated to complete the screening promptly and communicate its decision to the Presidency.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
