…to take identity of persons seriously, border patrol, funding critical military hardwares
KUNLE OLUTAYO
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian security community has assured to rein in all forms of security challenges facing the country.
The assurance came Tuesday night after over eight hours close session of the national security chiefs with Senators at the Red Chamber on the general insecurity situation across the country.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, after the meeting, said the lawmakers got the assurance of the security chiefs to restrategise and double their efforts to surmount various security problems contending with the peace of the nation.
The Senate commended efforts of the service chiefs in stemming the tide of insecurity.
Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, told journalists that “today has been tedious because we have to tell ourselves the truth.
“It behoves on us as representatives of the people to stamp out the menace of insecurity.
“And the only we can do that is to interface with them, told them about our experiences and those of our constituents.
“They allayed our fears and told us plans they have and briefed us on successes made of recent.
“We resolved some ways to ho about it and how we can as a parliament help them in resolving.
“We got the assurance of identity, border patrol and release of funding for purchase of military equipments.
“We again got the pledge of speedy trial of persons apprehended for criminal offences.
“We believe that the efforts they have put into jib of securing Nigeria, there will be peace in the country.”
The meeting started at about 12.30 pm, following the adoption of a motion moved by Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), to suspended its rule to admit visitors into the chamber.
The visitors admitted into the chamber included the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Ministers of Defence, Police Affairs, Interior and Finance, in addition to the Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police, DG DSS, and DG, NIA.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said in addition to the Service Chiefs, the upper chamber decided to invite some ministers supervising the finances of the security agencies such as the Minister of Finance and the coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Yemi Edun.
“We can talk security, but we need money also to procure equipment and to do a lot of things. So their presence here will give us a lot of insights into how funding will be handled to ensure the security of lives and property.
“Basically the Senate decided to take this option for us to have this interaction because of the various petitions that we have received from our constituents. As part of our oversight function, we decided to do this through the Committee of the Whole.
“We need to hear directly from you and then brief the people, if there is any cause for alarm and if there is no cause for alarm we will also know. If there is anything you want the National Assembly or the Senate to do, we will do, working closely with our partners in the House of Representatives.
According to Akpabio, the reasons for the invitation was already known to the invitees, saying that senate decided to take the option of having the interaction because of the various petitions from constituents.
