President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said on Monday that issues of security in the country, Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and electoral reforms are topmost on the agenda of the Senate as the upper chamber reconvenes on Tuesday.
Lawan said the heightening spate of insecurity is of growing concern that requires the collective effort of the Executive and Legislature, alongside all tiers of government at the State and Local levels.
The Senate President stated this while fielding questions from members of the Senate Press Corps who paid him a visit to felicitate with him on turning sixty-one recently.
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Senate President Ahmad Lawan, receiving birthday card from the Senate Press Corps.
“First and most importantly there is a need to look into the issue of security that is bedeviling this country.
“Apparently and obviously, all hands must be on deck to ensure that we bring back a better security situation as we had before.
“Presently in many areas, we have so much happening that is destabilizing our communities with the killing of people, and I believe that we owe Nigerians the responsibility to intervene and work with the executive arm of government and other tiers of government, the State and Local Governments to ensure that we change the way that we approach security issues in this country.
“The system has not been 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 what is required.
“One thing is clear, all hands must be on deck, which includes the Federal, State and Local Governments, and more importantly, the citizens.
“Because wherever you see security improving, the citizens play their own roles very well, but of course, the onus lies largely on government,” the Senate President said.
Calling for an immediate review of the security architecture of the country, Senator Lawan disclosed that in view of the recent escalation of insecurity in parts of the country, the National Assembly would take a definite position on the security situation in the country.
He added that the Senate will as a matter of urgency engage security agencies as soon as it returns from recess to come up with strategies aimed at tackling incidents of killings across states in Nigeria.
“So we are going to work with the Executive arm of government at the Federal level. Actually I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag as they say, but I believe that we should engage with the security agencies in the Senate, to find out why the deterioration insecurity in many parts of the country.
“We have had series of engagements before, but this time around I think the escalation has made it mandatory that we need to have a definite position as a government because we just cannot play politics with this as lives are at stake. And therefore, the Senate will take a definite position on how security in this country should be.
“I believe personally that we should restructure the security architecture. The present system does not appear to give us the kind of outcome that we need, and of course, whether it is the federal government or state, local government or traditional ruler or what have you, the purpose should be to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians and we will do that,” the Senate President said.
