Senators, Reps Challenge Federal Govt On State Of Security

Senators and House of Representatives has challenged the Federal Government on state of security, The Nation can confirm.

Angry federal lawmakers on Tuesday tackled President Muhammadu Buhari over the pervasive insecurity in the country.

They decried the killings, banditry, kidnapping and insurgency across the nation.

The senators and Representatives asked the President to “rise up to the occasion”, to save the country from disintegration.

The lawmakers poured out their hearts during yesterday’s sittings.

While the Senate took up the issue at plenary during a debate on the motion on urgent national importance moved by Senator Muhammed Sani Musa (Niger East) – the state where Boko Haram has hoisted its flag after sacking many villagers – the House of Representatives had their debate during an Executive session.

However, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said the President needs understanding and cooperation to terminate insecurity.

Speaking after a meeting with the President on Monday night at his residence inside the Aso Villa, Tinubu said: “There is no President who will want his country in chaos…There is no one that will want his citizens exposed to banditry and danger.”

Senator Smart Adeyemi painted a gory picture, saying: “the nation is on fire.” He called on the President to “rise to the occasion”.

“We wouldn’t wait until our nation gets burnt. Let us shout and call for foreign support. I am an APC man and I’ve been supporting my party, but the President should get to know it has got to a point that we who are supporters and members of the APC can no longer keep quiet.”

Adeyemi added: “The President must rise to the occasion. You will not see the truth and you are afraid to say it because you will die?

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele said he was “not convinced that Mr. President is aware of everything that is happening.”

Senator Birma Enagi (Niger South), said: “The situation has become so bad and shameful. Our women cannot go to the market, our women cannot go to fetch water from the rivers, our men cannot go to farm, our children cannot go to school.

“Nigerians cannot continue to bear this pain of our women been raped and forcefully married to Boko Haram terrorists.

“We cannot continue to allow Boko Haram to mount flags on Nigerian territory. What is our Army doing, what are the security agencies doing?

“The situation has become so shameful that a great country like Nigeria will be in this type of terrible situation.

“It seems like the federal government is handling this security situation with kid gloves. People are dying everyday and nothing is being done, no serious or concrete situation on ground to confront these people.”

Senator Ike Ekweremadu said: “I think the time has come for a place like Niger State to be completely shut down to protect the citizens so that we can be able to save those who are still alive.

“Those who are killed in Nigeria on the basis of geo-political zones on a daily basis are more than the Senators in this chamber.

“They kill more than 109 people everyday in every geo-political zone of this country. These are not just statistics but human beings.

“Time has come for us, if possible, to shut down this Senate and be able to find a solution to this matter.”

Senator Francis Fadahunsi said: “Since Sunday of the other week, Geidam was attacked. That is the home base of our leader here (Senate President) and the Inspector General of Police. Then on Sunday, again, our own Airforce by mistake wiped off a whole unit just some villages close to Maiduguri.

“Something drastic must be done. When the government cannot maintain security again, economic problem is mounting, then something must be done.

“The Senate must do its work, we have the power. We can install, and we can remove. If it means we have to look at that clause, we have to sit down and talk in executive session and harmonize and do things the way we are supposed to do it.

“If not, one day we would sit down here, and one small boy would carry AK-47, and some of us who would be able to use Amotekun clause can run away, but few of us may not be lucky. Are we going to wait for that time until we take a decision?”

Senator Gabriel Suswam said the Executive has shown clear incompetence to address the deteriorating security situation.

Senator Dickson said: “We are about to lose the Nigerian dream and we should not allow that to happen.

“Mr President should rise to the occasion and lead a constitutional reform. If he fails, we, in the National Assembly, can give this country a new leadership.”

Senate President Ahmad Lawan called for a supplementary budget to recruit additional personnel into security agencies as well as purchase weapons and platforms for the military.

Lawan said: “The serious security situation is a matter of concern not only to the parliament but all citizens. What we have done in today’s plenary is to be able to speak the minds of our people.

“Actually, when your country is challenged that is when you need the parliament to be alive and not to close. And we shall never be deterred, we shall never be discouraged with discussion that we hold here because this is the essence of the parliament.

“But we will follow it up, we will insist that our resolutions are implemented. Today there is no arm of Government that is not concerned about the security situation. Everybody is concerned.

“What is crucial is for us to bite the bullet. We must appropriate funds even though that is not the only way out.”

The Senate resolved, among others, as follows:

* That President Muhammadu Buhari should order massive recruitment into the police and armed force as a way to galvanise manpower to confront terrorist.

* That there should be procurement of necessary equipment for use by the armed forces.

* That the security chiefs should immediately deploy troops to certain unarmed populate and bring back security to affected communities.

* That security chiefs should establish permanent military and police command base at the axis adjourning Shiroro and Kafi local government of Niger State.

The Senate observed a minute silence for “all the victims of these callous acts of criminality.”

It directed that its leadership, led by the Senate President, should meet with President Buhari and the Service Chiefs and report back.