…Constitutes ad-hoc committee to engage NSA, Security Chiefs
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Senate on Wednesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, declare a National Security Emergency to address the escalating challenges of insecurity facing the country.
This was part of the resolutions of the Senate reached after an exhaustive debate on a motion on the urgent need to restructure, review and reorganize Nigeria’s current security architecture.
The Senate also constituted an Ad-Hoc committee to immediately engage the National Security Adviser, Major-General Mohammed Babagana Monguno (retd), and heads of Security Agencies with a view to curbing the rising spate of insecurity in the country.
Among the heads of security agencies that the Ad-Hoc committee is expected to have an interface with are the Chief of Defense Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
The composition of the Ad-Hoc Committee draws membership from the ranks of the Senate Leadership and Chairmen of relevant Committees on Security that include the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi as Chairman while members include, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Deputy Chief Whip, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; Ali Ndume, Chairman, Committee on Army; Aliyu Wammako, Chairman, Committee on Defense; Bala Ibn Na’Allah, Chairman, Committee on Airforce; and George Thompson Sekibo, Chairman, Committee on Navy.
Others are include Ibrahim Gobir, Chairman, National Security and Intelligence; Haliru Jika Dauda, Chairman, Committee on Police; Kashim Shettima, Kabiru Gaya, Gershom Bassey, Stella Oduah, Abba Moro, Ibikunle Amosun, Yusuf A. Yusuf, and Suleiman Abdu Kwari.
Accordingly, upper chamber mandated the Ad-Hoc committee to engage the National Security Institution to discuss their operational structures, funding, equipment and staff disposition with a view to reviewing the national security architecture to make it more responsive to tackling the myriad security challenges faced by Nigeria.
It also directed the committee to produce a draft implementation modality and blueprint on the ways and means of tackling the current security challenges for the consideration of the upper chamber.
