The National Assembly under the leadership of Senator, Ahmad Lawan on Wednesday, led his colleagues – Senate body of principal officers to charge security Chiefs to do more to secure lives and properties of the people, with a not too gratifying response from the General Lucky Irabor Armed forces that they were doing their best
Lawan, who spoke at a meeting between the Senate leadership and the Service Chiefs in Abuja, admitted that though security was not hundred percent in most instances, even in developed countries, the Nigerian situation was becoming an untamed albatross
“the security situation of any country cannot be one hundred percent satisfactory, but of course there is a level at which no country can be comfortable with insecurity.”
Lawan lamented the lingering crisis, but was full of praise for the Buhari’s administration funding so far to curb insecurity
He said “there has never been an administration in this country, especially since the Fourth Republic started in 1999, that invested so much resources in the security of this country like this present administration.”
“I have no doubt about it. I am a participant. To a very large extent I can say that none but we believe that as a National Assembly, we have always met this Executive at the right position, at the right time, most especially when it concerns investment in the security of life and property in Nigeria,” he maintained.
While Lawan i expressed displeasure at the current situation, he said that: “We had hoped that by this time, the security situation in Nigeria would have been far better and Nigeria would have made more progress not only in the area of security, but also in the area of economy which is tied to the security situation again.”
He was of the view that all security agencies and Armed Forces have been doing their best but noted that more needed to be achieved in all areas that the country desire to achieve results
“There are, of course, several arguments whether the resources available to our Armed forces and our security agencies are enough or not. Definitely not enough. I don’t know of any country where there is enough really. But even within the scarcity that we have, this administration and this Senate and National Assembly have always prioritise the security of our country.
He explained that the interactive session is to look into where the country is today, “probably this current position where we are is most frightening because it is like there is nowhere to hide, no where to go. Insecurity is everywhere and especially, if it is coming to the point of dislocating the security situation where the government is quartered. We will really review and see what more we have to do and how differently we have to do.” he noted
According to the Senate President, the Nigerian population is largely peasant and Most of the people are in the rural areas and they live their lives by going to farms, pointing that even though this was the case, it is true that in many parts of the country today, that is an herculean task.
Lawan stated that it was possible that the security agencies could do better to secure the rural area at least the so-called ungoverned space, so that that segment of the population can go to farms to earn their living.
“Where our agricultural productivity is drastically going down, that will complicate the security situation because the most ordinary Nigerian cares more about what he or she or what the family will eat. And of course, all other things are secondary.
“We have problem with our economy to some extent because of insecurity. No foreign direct investment or not as much as we would ordinarily attract to our country.
“Our prayer is to start seeing serious, remarkable and dramatic changes from today.
“We hope that our discussions will give us the opportunity to consider other things or other areas or ideas that we didn’t have before,” Lawan stressed.
Responding on behalf of the Security Chiefs, General Irabor noted that “the wisdom of the Senate President and Senate leadership to convene this meeting is born out of the fact that issues of national security must be seen from a collective perspective and that whatever the situation is, there is always room for rubbing of minds to make contributions to the effect that we have a more secured environment where every Nigerian will have a sense of security.”
He explained that “quite a lot has happened, quite a lot has been done, quite a lot is being done to ensure that we improve on the security situation across the country.”
“The commitment is there. It’s very profound. I believe that as we go into discussions on specifics, it will be clear that no one is leaving any stone unturned in redressing all the imbalances within the security environment,” the Chief of Defence Staff added.
It would be recalled that senators across party lines had shortly before going on annual recess threatened President Muhammadu Buhari with impeachment notice over the heightened insecurity in the country, which majority of their colleagues in the House of Representatives endorsed.
The Chief of Defence Staff. General Lucky Irabor led the Service Chiefs, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Awwal Gambo; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to the meeting.
Others are the Director General, Directorate of Security Service, DSS, Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi; the Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi; Director General of National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar while the National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) was represented.
