Lawmakers Call On Tinubu To Make Nigerian Security Priority

Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives have urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritize the security of lives and property more effectively than the administration of Muhammadu Buhari did over eight years.

During the immediate past administration, insurgency, kidnapping, and various forms of criminal activities escalated significantly, leading to an unprecedented level of insecurity.

Consequently, the international community issued numerous travel advisories cautioning their citizens to avoid troubled areas in Nigeria.

Since Tinubu’s inauguration as President, there has been a noticeable increase in kidnapping for ransom, especially in the Federal Capital Territory. This surge has prompted many Nigerians to urge the Minister, Nyesom Wike, to devise strategies to enhance safety in the territory.

In a conversation with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, a member of the House and Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Oluwole Oke, expressed concern that while insecurity is not unique to Nigeria, the country’s situation has become increasingly troubling for those who desire its progress.

Oke, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party, emphasized in a telephone interview with our correspondent the urgent need for President Tinubu to address the shortage of personnel within various security agencies.

He said, “There are a lot that this government can do better than the previous administration. We are not the first to experience this kind of situation. It happened in other advanced climes in the past and still happening in some other countries but not as bad as ours.

“You will recall when the service chiefs appeared before the House for sectoral briefings. I did observe that the security situation in which we found ourselves is the result of poverty occasioned by neglect of the masses by the ruling class.

“The armed forces, paramilitary institutions and intelligence communities need to massively recruit youths up to 500,000 in bigger states and 100,000 in smaller states.

“They should be camped and trained for three to six months, armed to the teeth with good remuneration package and deploy them to very strategic locations. Those we can’t deploy locally should be exported for peacekeeping operations. This is the reason behind my sponsoring a bill on peace keeping operations.

“We also need to invest massively in intelligence gathering and equip all our security agencies with modern-day technologies.”

Oke, acknowledging the significant financial implications of his proposals, emphasized that the Tinubu-led government must not evade its primary responsibility to Nigerian citizens as outlined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

In addition, Gbefwi Jonathan, a chieftain of the Social Democratic Party and member representing Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal Constituency of Nasarawa State, urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security.

He stressed that “without adequate security, no meaningful development will take place.“