NASS, executive to restructure security architecture – Lawan

The National Assembly has promised to provide legislative framework to assist the executive arm of government in finding lasting solution to the intractable security challenges facing the country.

President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, who said this on Monday during an interface with members of the Senate Press Corps, said the legislative arm, particularly the Senate is saddened by the degeneration of the security situation in the country.

According to him, it is unfortunate that Nigeria has found herself in this state of insecurity in which citizens come under unabashed attacks by insurgents, kidnappers, bandits and robbers.

Lawan said the National Assembly can no longer pretend that the current security apparatus in the country is incapable of curtailing the spate of insecurity and violence.

He therefore, said it is necessary to change the present security apparatus by complementing government’s efforts with alternative arrangements to secure lives and property.

The Senate president said that “we have had series of engagements before, but the escalation now has made it mandatory that we have to have a definite position as a government because we just cannot play politics with security issues.

“Lives are at stake. Therefore, the Senate will take a position on how security in the country should be. We believe that the security architecture should be restructured.

“The present system does not give us the type of outcome that we need. Whether it is the federal, state or local government; even the traditional rulers or others, the most important thing is to secure the lives and property of Nigerians and we would do that.

“Apparently and obviously, all hands must be on deck to ensure that we bring back a better security situation like we had before.

No going back until insurgents are subdued –Buratai

“Presently, the story is not good as in many areas you have so much happening that is destabilising our communities, killing of our people and we believe that we owe Nigerians the responsibility to intervene to work with the executive arm of government, actually to work together with other tiers of government, the States and local government to ensure that we change the way we approach security issues in this country.

“The present arrangement is not working effectively and efficiently and we have to do something and this time around, there shouldn’t be buck passing; we have to be forthright, we have to say it as it is and we have to do it as it is required.”

As part of the Senate agenda for the year 2020, the Senate President said the National Assembly will ensure adequate implementation of the 2020 budget starting which implementation starts running this month.