Buhari to approach N’Assembly with ‘special request’ for arms supply

Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

There are indications that the country is expecting the arrival of a new cache of arms for the security agencies to sustain the fight against insecurity.

President Muhammadu Buhari is also to make fresh “special request” to the National Assembly for budget approval for the procurement of more security hard wares This formed parts of the discussion between the states and President Muhammadu Buhari at a meeting held on Monday at the presidential villa to further discuss synergy and ways to tackle the economic and security challenges in the country.

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Chairman, and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who briefed journalists after the meeting, expressed the commitment of the governors to the judiciary and legislature autonomy.

Meanwhile, the President, however, met the leadership of the National Assembly on Monday where the issues surrounding the budget implementation, supplementary budget provision, and the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) were discussed.

Answering questions from journalists, Fayemi said security information indicated that kidnappers were behind insurgence ravaging several parts of the country, assuring that states and the Federal Government were working together to find the best way to stem the tide.

“There are responsibilities that we have at our level in the states; there are also responsibilities that the federal government has to attend to. If we all do our parts, clearly, we believe that we will see the end of this challenge,” he said.

The governor said he was happy about the progress made in the fight against insurgence, especially the new vigour of the newly appointed service chiefs.

He said, “I can tell you and I don’t think I’ll be breaching any confidence that one of the good news I came away with, from the President now on this issue is that he’s already informed the National Assembly that they will be receiving a special request from him on procurement of equipment on an accelerated basis for our security services, because that was one of the issues that we put before him and he was very categorical that yes, we have a point, some of the equipment that had been procured is on the way, they haven’t arrived, but they will soon arrive.

“There is also a need to buy more equipment and he is going into government-to-government partnership with a number of countries and that would necessitate an accelerated clearance from the National Assembly.”

The governor, however, agreed that the military approach can give an everlasting solution without tackling the root cause of the criminalities in the country.

“I also don’t think we’re naive enough to think that it’s simply a military action that will resolve all these security challenges.

They have root causes and the root causes require political will, political action on our part against poverty, against inequality, against the disconnections between our youth and the government because these are some of the things that have pushed younger people into harm’s way and into becoming cannon fodder for those who don’t have the interest of our country at heart and I ready to destroy the country.

“There is a direct correlation; I’ve said this to you before, between insurgency in the Northeast, and what we’re seeing manifesting itself as banditry in the Northwest, or kidnapping in the Southwest.

Some of the people involved in these are also the ones responsible for insurgency.

“They are using the resources that they make from kidnapping for the activities that they’re conducting in the Northeast.

So we need to take a comprehensive look at all these things and not treat them in compartments. We must treat them as a comprehensive issue and then tackle them collectively.”

Fayemi said governors were concerned about the perennial farmers’ and herders’ clashes, which could lead to a threat to food security in the long run.

He said, “We’re very concerned about that and that’s one of the issues that came up in my conversation with Mr. President this afternoon.

For us, it’s no use giving just verbal assurances; farmers need to see concrete action on the ground, dedicated to protecting them in doing their business.

“That’s why the majority of our states are very focused on the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) that would at least confine those who want to graze their cattle to a dedicated space rather than roaming around and destroying crops, which then result in the kind of conflicts that we’ve had between farmers and herders.

“That’s the primary way that we intend to reassure farmers, but pending the time that comes to fruition, on a state by state basis, we are all working hard by.

In Ekiti for example, we have a regular meeting between farmers and herders in the state to define the relationship and promote harmony between both sides, the representatives of the farmers, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (ALFAN), and the representatives of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, and that has been going reasonably well.

“That’s a state, individual state response, we need a wider strategy to enable us to achieve food security because you are right. If we don’t take concerted steps to address this, we are definitely going to end up with a food shortage in the country.”

On the autonomy for the legislature, the governor said they were in support and working out the framework.

He said, “What we objected to at the time and we made it clear to you too, which was what led to the intervention of Mr. President, that the Chief of Staff should coordinate an exit from Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja that logjam, was that we felt that these were issues that were constitutional in nature and we really did not need an executive order for us to achieve the collective wish of the President, as well as the government.

“What the meeting that you saw hold focused on was the mechanics for achieving legislative autonomy and judicial autonomy and very soon you will hear the full details of that. In a matter of one or two weeks, we’ll come out with the full entire gamut of the agreement that we had with the speakers and the representatives of the judiciary in states.”

Fayemi urged the President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to approach the National Assembly and the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly for the amendment of the constitution instead of issuing strike threats over local government autonomy.

He said, “Well, I’m sure the president of the National Union of Local Government Employees is a democrat and constitutional reform is a process, not an event, so he should allow the process to reach its conclusion.

“What he has an advantage of doing now, and which I think he should be doing rather than issuing threats, is lobbying and promoting the interests of his constituency because that’s the only way to get that result.

“The constitution reform body has started its work chaired by, I believe the Deputy Senate President, he should go and make a case with them and once he’s made that case, he should also go to two-thirds of the 36 Houses of Assembly and make a similar case. That’s the only way to win the argument; it’s not by issuing threats.”

After the meeting with the President, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila told journalists that the legislature and the executive were working in unison and that the meeting centered on serious national issues.

Lawan said, “One of those issues is the issue of the supplementary budget. Both executive and legislative arms believe that we should have the supplementary budget to provide for funding of the COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria, as well as the security, providing more resources and platforms to our security agencies.

“And today, I’m sure in Nigeria, there are no more grave issues, than COVID-19 and security situation in the country. And I want to take this opportunity to say that the security situation is gradually improving. And I’m sure that when we will have more resources to our security agencies, we will see an even faster recovery of our situation.”

Lawan said the national assembly would be willing to appropriate more funds for the purchase of security weapons and equipment because they were essential.

“We have already approved so much. And that’s why we’re expecting Tucsons to be here. We’re expecting some APCs from Jordan. We’re expecting some APCs from China. And we believe that we’ve not had enough, we still need to approve more sources for the purchase of weapons for our armed forces, because this is the number one priority of government or any government really, to secure the people, and of course later the welfare.

“So we believe that we will be doing the right thing if there is a request through supplementary appropriation bill from the presidency or executive arm of government, and then we will approve. Of course, depending on what we need to have a clear-cut definition of how much is going for what, we’re not going to just give approval like that for a general thing.

We want to see how the funds will be utilized. But it is mandatory that we provide more resources for our armed forces, and they’re doing well.”

The Senate President said funds would also be made available for vaccine development in the country, especially against COVID-19.

He said, “As for the COVID, I believe that our country, Nigeria should have some resources for our scientists to collaborate with other scientists from across the globe, to also have our own vaccine because we can’t rely on what other countries are doing now, every nation to itself, that’s what is happening.

“The US is not allowing vaccines to go out of the US. EU is not allowing AstraZeneca vaccine produced in the UK to be sent out of EU. India is not allowing AstraZeneca vaccine they produce to be exported out. So where do we go from here? We will have to fall back on our own capacities and abilities.

And we have great scientists in this country. We have many Nigerians outside Nigeria, who are also helping to develop the vaccines in other countries. So why don’t you bring them home? Why don’t you put some resources so they will also produce ours locally here and take care of our population, and then later other African countries especially our neighbours.”

Lawan said a scientist had demanded for N100 million for vaccine development but that the National Assembly won’t approve such for an individual “There has to be concrete system that you can channel resources into not an individual moving around talking.

No, no, no, we should have everything in place. We have capable scientists, we should have that critical mass of scientists coming together to provide the environment that will guarantee and warrant deployment of public resources but just an individual saying he has a system or he has a vaccine candidate. No, I don’t think that’s the way to go.

“We should have proper and serious engagement because vaccines develop in Nigeria will need to be applied or may be subjected to international assessments.

So it’s not going to be a vaccine for Nigeria alone. It’s supposed to be a vaccine for the entire world but of course originated from Nigeria.

“So we want a very solid and strong platform on which our scientists will have all the opportunities and then government provides the necessary resources. But eventually, of course, those who will manufacture these things will be private concerns.”