Our security architecture has failed to secure our citizens —Lawan

Nigeria’s Senate President, Ahmed Lawan on Wednesday, said that the nation’s security architecture had not achieved the desired results of providing the needed security to citizens.

He said that security agencies needed better funding and other resources for better performance, adding that security remained a fundamental responsibility of government and that no amount of investment on it is too much.

Lawan stated this in his remarks on Wednesday during the inauguration of the senate committees.

He had also in his remarks disclosed that the federal lawmakers received “the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), this morning. As the preparations for the Appropriation 2020 is on top gear and could be received soon, our committees need to be ready to perform their functions. Time, therefore, is of the essence.”

He said, “Distinguished colleagues, our country is facing the challenges of insecurity, while our largely youthful population is affected by unemployment, among other problems. Fortunately, we are also blessed with abundant agricultural land.

“We are similarly endowed with abundant solid minerals in all parts of our country. The oil and gas resources have remained our major source of revenue.

“Distinguished colleagues, our challenges can be appropriately addressed with our rich endowments. What we require therefore is the strategic deployment of those resources.

Read also: Buhari asks govs not to fix Federal roads again

“We can plan and use our agricultural potentials to achieve not only national food security but also the process for exports. Again, our solid minerals sector is largely untapped and we can exploit those resources through the right policies and supportive legislations.

“We need to also focus on human capital development. It is inevitable that we have to improve government investments in education and health, if we want to create the critical mass of workforce for the knowledge based economy of present times.

“Our petroleum industry is almost stagnant and for long needing profound reform. Our oil and gas-related committees are therefore expected to work hard to take the lead in our determination to reform this vital sector.

“It is the desire, indeed the design of this Senate that, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed before the end of 2020.

“The security architecture of our country has not achieved the desired results of providing the needed security to our citizens. Our security agencies need better funding and other resources for better performance.

“As security is a fundamental responsibility of government, no amount of investment is too much. Our security-related committees are therefore challenged to assess and review both the architecture and structure of our security agencies towards improved efficiency.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now