Apparently worried about the worsening spate of insecurity in the country assuming ethno- religious dimension, the Senate has scheduled another marathon debate to address the various factors causing insecurity in the land.
The seven point motion was scheduled for debate Tuesday but shifted to today (Wednesday), because of the death of a member of the House of Representatives, Hon Ossy Chinedu Prestige.
Sponsored by Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Robert Ajayi Borroficce ( APC Ondo North), the motion expressed fears that the nation is entering a phase in governance trajectory characterized by unabated terrorism, insurgency, banditry and kidnappings.
The motion as contained in the Order Paper of Senate frowned at the practice of ejecting any Nigerian from any part of the country.
According to Borrofice in the motion, “Section 43 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is sacrosanct, as every citizen of Nigeria has the right to live and aquire property in any part of the country.”
In the scheduled motion, the Senate expressed fears that “if the present spate of insecurity across the nation is not curtailed , it will lead to food insecurity and famine as many farmers can no longer access their farmlands”.
On how to address the issues, the motion urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the National Security Adviser and the Newly nominated Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police to devise a proposal to rejig the nation’s security architecture and disposition of forces for more effective counter measures against the current security challenges, particularly in the rural areas.
It also urged the state governors to re-invigorate rural governance and convene a state-wide intercommunal conclaves and dialogues to promote local conflict resolution and inter-ethnic harmony.
It added that the federal government should immediately embark on an operation to Checkmate proliferation of firearms and enforce the laws against illegal possession of firearms by arresting, disarming and punishing anyone in illegal possession of arms just as it equally asked the State Governors to implement the National Livestock Transformation Plan which is a modern scheme designed to eliminate transhumance in order to prevent farmer-herder conflicts and activate highly productive livestock sector in Nigeria.
It also made the case that the federal government should adequately equip the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to police and monitor our borders using technology to check illegal immigrants, and Checkmate smuggling of fire arms and light weapon; and that the Federal Government must resuscitate and inaugurate the National Task Force (Commission) to combat the proliferation of Light Weapons, Small Arms and Amunition.
