By Audrey Lotechukwu
WED 28 APRIL, 2021-theGBJournal- The House of Representatives has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security in the country as part of urgent measures to address the worsening situation.
The Representatives took the decision Tuesday during an executive session presided over by Speaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila that lasted for over three hours in Abuja, coming out with an 11-point resolution while reiterating its commitment to finding solutions to the security challenges in the country by engaging a wide segment of stakeholders and protecting the corporate existence of Nigeria.
‘’Considering the security situation, the President should immediately declare a State of Emergency on Security so as to fast track all measures to ensure the restoration of peace in the country,’’ the House said.
The House condemned recent attacks on security agents, formations and communities in different parts of the country by what ‘’criminal elements,’’ and sympathised with victims of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and commiserated with the families that lost loved ones.
The Reps also invited the National Security Adviser, the Service Chiefs, Control-General of Customs and the Managing Director of Nigerian Communication Satelite (NigComSat1R) to brief it on the measures taken so far to address the security challenges.
For the Judiciary, the House asked that the trial of all suspects in custody for alleged involvement in terrorism, banditry and kidnapping be fast-tracked, noting that the security situation outweighed the number of security agents in the country and called for the immediate recruitment of more hands to beef up the number.
The Reps also called on the President to take measures to implement full financial autonomy for local government councils in the country to enable them handle certain community issues before the snowballed into a major crisis.
Meanwhile, the Reps said they plan to hold a security summit on May 24 to look into the security situation and come up with recommendations on the way forward.
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