ABUJA, JANUARY 30, 2018 – The Senate in collaboration with the President Muhammadu Buhari and the Executive arm will on Thursday, February 1 and Monday February 5 convene a National Security Summit.
In view of the multi-dimensional security challenges facing the nation, the summit will provide an all inclusive platform for heads of security and defence agencies, Governors, traditional rulers, socio-cultural groups, civil society organizations and others, with a view to finding solutions to acute and long term challenges posed by insecurity.
A statement issued by the Majority Leader of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, on Tuesday, said that the summit will also review the challenges being faced by security agencies in the performance of their duties and charting the way forward towards resolving the issues involved.
The Senate had on January 17, while deliberating on the interim report submitted by its adhoc committee on review of security infrastructure, resolved to convene a summit to interface with security agencies and other critical stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the issue and other related challenges.
The deliberation followed the crisis that erupted Benue, Taraba and Adamawa States and other states , especially between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria.
The statement noted that though the summit was an initiative of the Senate as part of it’s contribution to the resolution of the rising security challenges, it is being convened in partnership with the Presidency to find a common solution to the issue.
The summit is to be declared open by President Muhammadu Buhari and is to hold at the Banquet Hall of the State House on Thursday with all the 36 state governors in attendance.
Other participants at the event will include all Senators and members of the House of Representatives, Ministers of Defence and Interior, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Service Chiefs and other heads of security agencies.
Others expected at the two-day summit are selected traditional rulers from across the six geo-political zones, representatives of regional socio political organizations, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Other stakeholders invited to the summit are the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
