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Senate worried, proposes summit on security in Nigeria

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Senate worried, proposes summit on security in Nigeria

Worried over the insecurity challenges currently afflicting the nation, the Senate on Tuesday reiterate the need to convey an “all-inclusive” national summit on security.

The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan made the revelation at the plenary on Tuesday.

The announcement followed the lawmakers’ deliberation on a motion on the state of insecurity and gruesome murder of Mrs Funke Olakunrin sponsored by Ayo Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo Central).

In his motion, Mr Akinyelure stated that there had been a series of such attacks on Benin-Ore expressway and many other major highways across the federation.

He said travellers now feel largely insecure to travel on those roads because of recurring attacks and security agencies have not satisfactorily resolved the crisis across the country.

Contributing to the motion, Tolulope Odebiyi (APC, Ogun West) stressed the need to demand action by our security forces and the presidency.

According to him, nothing done by the Senate will work except security is improved.

“Continuous killings like this brings a feeling of hopelessness that nothing is being done. If necessary, let’s send a delegation to the presidency to sit and discuss an action plan to be taken.

“Apart from the security situation, there must be other plans be it political, to bring all the groups together and find a permanent situation,” he said.

Nicholas Tofowomo (PDP, Ondo South) was the first to call for a national security summit as he said internal security is a shambles.

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“We come here every day to complain about people dying and insecurity but we need a solution. Now we are passing the buck to the federal government, what about those of us here, can’t we offer solutions?

“It is very obvious that our internal security is a shambles. It is nothing to write home about. We don’t even have internal security so we cannot even be talking about next level. We need a robust conference on our security arrangement in this country. Many more have been killed that we don’t know. It is beyond the federal government,” he said.

In his contribution, the Senate President said the security situation in the country is perverse and every part of the country has one story or another to tell.

“It will be the duty of this senate to hold an all-inclusive national summit on security, including the executive arm of government because we have to work together with them to ensure that we address this challenges.”

The Senate, however, drew the attention of the federal government to the continuous rising cases of insecurity in different parts of the nation. It also condemned the murder of Ms Olakunrin and commiserated with the family.

The lawmakers called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and other service chiefs to apprehend the culprits in the killing of Ms Olakunrin and bring them to justice accordingly.

The Senate urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency to accelerate actions on fixing potholes on major highways which serves as spots for the bandits.
The lawmakers admonished state governors and local government chairmen to cooperate and collaborate with needed logistics in their respective states.

They also directed the budget office and the Senate Committee on Appropriation and Defence (when constituted) to ensure that necessary funds are allocated in the 2020 appropriation bill for the operations of a joint patrol of armed forces and other security agencies.

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