Dogara Wants Buhari To Review National Security Architecture

Mr Yakubu Dogara, the speaker of the House of Representatives, has admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to review the security make-up of the country to end the incessant killings witnessed in the country.

The speaker gave the advice during plenary, while he was addressing members of the house.

He wondered why insecurity in areas such as the North East, North West and some parts of the North Central, seemed to be the order of the day.

“Only three days ago, scores of people were killed in Sokoto State and elsewhere; hardly any week passes without reports of mass killings and bloodletting, either by terrorists or armed bandits.

“This calls for drastic, urgent and concerted action and efforts to bring the situation to a quick end as citizens are looking up to us.

“And we cannot afford to fail them because security of lives and properties is the primary purpose of government.

“It is therefore imperative for the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces to take a hard look at our national security architecture with a view to fixing the malady, in order to secure lives, national pride and prestige,” Dogara said.

Dogara also urged his colleagues in the house to strike a balance between their legislative duties and their campaigns as the election approaches.

He also advised his colleagues to conduct themselves in a responsible matter during the build up to the elections.

“We must, through our conduct, show our commitment to the successful and peaceful conduct of the elections; and above all, the sustenance of our democracy.

“We should avoid the tendency of being hypocritical by engaging in misdeeds that we are quick to point out in our opponents.

“Let us be guided by our conscience and the teachings of our religions, which demand that we judge ourselves before judging others,’’ the speaker said.

Dogara maintained that National Assembly was proud of its efforts to guarantee successful and rancour-free conduct of the elections by passing the Electoral Act Amendment Bill for the third time after the president declined assent twice.

He said that the intention of lawmakers to improve on the successes of the 2015 General Elections through the Amendment Bill, was very clear to all fair-minded Nigerians.

“We had intended, through this Bill, to minimise the risk to the survival of our hard-won democracy through responsive and timely legislation aimed at ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.

“Nonetheless, as Parliament, we have done our best to guarantee the stability and growth of our fragile democracy and I have no doubt that history will be very kind to us.

“Under the present circumstance, we have no choice than to take INEC and the Police by their words and give them the benefit of doubt in their recent assurances to be impartial, efficient and truthful in the conduct of the coming elections.

“This is the minimum that the country deserves from them at this auspicious time, nothing short of complete openness, a level playing ground and strict adherence to extant laws will be acceptable to Nigerians,” Dogara said.