Senate President Bukola Saraki has said that he never meant that the Senate would not screen and confirm the new Service Chiefs appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This followed criticisms over comments he made on social media site, Twitter, on Monday.

 In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, he explained that, “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.”