Speaker Urges Nigs To Report Incidences Of Misconduct By Security Agents

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has called on Nigerians to report instances of misconduct by security agents to their offices to seek justice.

Abbas gave the charge at the opening of a workshop on “Enhancing Effective Legislative Oversight of the National Security and Intelligence Sector” organised by the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence in Abuja.

Abbas, who was represented by the Deputy majority leader, Abdulahi Halims, said that transparency and accountability in the security sector must be promoted.

“We must insist on regular reporting from agencies on their activities, budget utilisation, procurement processes, and human rights records, among others.

“We should also establish mechanisms for citizens to report abuses or misconduct by security personnel without fear of retaliation or intimidation”.

“We should advocate for greater openness in government information related to national security matters while respecting legitimate concerns around confidentiality and national security interests”.

“Following from the above, it is imperative that we engage citizens through citizens groups in our oversight of the sector,” he said.

He added, “the collaboration is not only essential for effective lawmaking but also for building trust between the government and citizens.

“We believe that by working together, we can enhance transparency, promote accountability, and ensure that our national security policies are aligned with international best practices while addressing local challenges effectively.”

The Chairman of the committee, Ahmad Satomi said the welfare of the citizens is the primary responsibility of the government.

He noted that the workshop was to enhance the competency of members of the committee to ensure efficient oversight as required.

“Some of the critical areas to be discussed during this summit include; combating organised crimes, small arms and light weapons proliferation, cyber security, terrorism financing and its implication to national security.

“I am very optimistic that at the end of the workshop, the committee would have been more technically enabled to commence strategic oversight on some of the critical emerging challenges which has begun to pose serious threats to the security of Nigeria”.

“Such threats include cyber threats and terrorism financing; this is apart from the seemingly intractable challenges of organised banditry, kidnappings, separatist agitations, and terrorist attacks”.

“These challenges are not unsurmountable, and I wish to assure Nigerians, that the House of Representatives through this committee has put mechanisms in place to confront these criminalities frontally and decimate them for the peace and stability of this great country,” he added.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji