The House of Representatives, on Thursday, abruptly adjourned plenary and suspended all legislative activities till next week to register its displeasure over the recent killings in Kaduna State, Leadership reports.
The House adjourned the plenary after intensive debate on the security situation in the country following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Shehu Balarabe, a member representing Birnin Gwari/Giwa federal constituency of Kaduna State.
Balarabe lamented that armed bandits had in the last one week invaded the two local government areas he represents and killed scores, raped, maimed, displaced many and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
While contributing to the motion, leader of the House, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, said Nigerians should be allowed to take up arms and defend themselves against gunmen.
Doguwa said there is a “monumental failure” in the security architecture of the country.
“Mr Speaker, I rise to speak in the capacity of the majority leader who of course is the Ambassador of government on this floor.
“When you have a government in place, the major responsibility of that government especially a democratic one that was elected by the people is to ensure the safety of lives and property of the innocent citizens.
“Mr Speaker, when things like these continue on daily basis, those of us who are representatives of the government become speechless. We become speechless here to defend actions by the government. This is an elected government, under a popular democracy but day in, day out, there are killings, massacre, armed robbery all over, left, right and centre.
“This is a report from just one local government out of the 774. Giwa local government and the case of Giwa is not just a new case, he (mover of the motion) is only giving us the most recent happening. Giwa has been engulfed by banditry and killings in the last two to three years.
“Giwa has fallen coincidentally in a state (Kaduna) where you have the representation of the Nigerian military and other security agencies — the highest place you can count is in the northern part of the country. Why should this thing continue to happen?
“The government in this case has to rise to its responsibility. Call a spade, a spade. If it is about funding, each of us here knows we have never had any cause to contemplate funding our security agencies. I believe our relevant committees are following up in terms of implementation of such funding through our budget, their oversight processes. Why things should continue this way? We are here for the Nigerian people and we must speak for Nigerian people.
“We can not sit down here and fold our arms. I think if there is any other thing I should add to this motion, Mr. speaker, with due respect to our institution’s existence that on account of this institutional failure and regimental failure on the part of our security agencies because you have just no cause to raise excuse for any of them.
“With all sense of responsibility, with all sense of commitment, with the fact that yes, even after this world we shall all rise to answer our father’s name in the next world to account for actions. I think Nigerians should this moment be allowed to also take arms.
“Nigerians must be allowed to take up arms in defence of their innocent souls, defend their hard-earned resources and properties.
“If the agencies of security have failed, then Nigerians should not be seen as failures. Let Nigerians organise themselves in the way of civil defence. Let them organise and raise a defence for their innocent souls because if the responsibility of the government and the security agencies cannot be carried out democratically, then let’s go to the jungle,” Hon. Doguwa stated.
Meanwhile, another member of the House, Hon. Nasir Ahmed, also called for the sack of the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd).
Ahmed said, “Do we have a national security adviser?” he asked.
“Are we saying the Army, the Nigerian Navy, Air Force, Police and DSS with all the training that they have had, with all the international trainings that they have gone to — they have gone to peacekeeping, that a ragtag army of 16 to 17 year-old-boys (bandits) is more powerful than them?
“Mr Speaker this madness has to stop. It simply has to stop. You travel by road you’re kidnapped; you go by train, you’re kidnapped, last week the airport was attacked by bandits; you sit at home you’re kidnapped, you send your children to school they are kidnapped. Mr Speaker a few weeks ago, somebody was kidnapped in a hospital. Where are you going to stay? You can be kidnapped right in this chamber.
“What do we tell our people that elected us? Do we just fold our arms? I want to use this opportunity again and I am calling on the national security adviser — he must be removed.”
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