The House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the ravaging insecurity despite the N3.25 trillion (representing 11.8 percent of the N28.77 trillion) budgetary allocation in the 2024 Appropriation Act, to the defense and security sector on drones and other military equipment that could have tracked, located and rescued victims.
In the same vein, the House resolved to investigate the utilisation of the $20 million Safe School Fund raised for protection of students and teachers in areas prone to security threats across the country.
The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion on the ‘Urgent need to tackle the abhorrent abduction of Over 200 Students in Kuriga Community of Chikun and secure lives and property in Kaduna State’, sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Munir.
In his lead debate, Hon. Munir recalled that on March 7th 2024, gunmen stormed Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School and Government Secondary School in Kuriga Community where over 200 students and teachers had been forcibly abducted and moved to the forest unchallenged.
“The House also notes that two months back, this ugly menace occurred in the same community where a school principal, Malam Abu Sufyan, was killed days earlier and his wife and baby abducted. The wife and baby were later rescued in a successful joint security operation on 3rd February 2024.
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“The House is aware that on Friday 8th March 2024, gunmen attacked worshippers in a mosque at Angwar Makera, Kwasakwasa Community in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, with two persons declared dead.
“This worrisome trend of violence is seeping into other parts of the state affecting persons of all religious and ethnic backgrounds.
“The House is concerned that despite the N3.25 trillion allocated to the defense and security sector on drones and other military equipment that could have tracked, located and rescued victims represent 11.8 percent of the national budget in 2024, yet, there has been no respite as bulk of the actions by security personnel are reactionary rather than proactive.
“The House is also concerned of the negative effect of the restrictive envelope system, that does not prioritize the actual needs assessment of the security sector when it comes to procurement, planning and recruitment of personnel.
“The House is aware that in May 2014, the Nigerian Government with an initial $10 million, with another additional pledge of $10 million from coalition of Nigerian business leaders along with the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown launched the Safe Schools Initiative, whereby the fund is to be managed by the Federal Ministry of Finance, for protection of students and teachers in areas prone to security threats.
“The ‘Safe School Initiative’ entails a combination of school-based interventions; community interventions to protect schools; and special measures for at-risk populations’. A decade has gone by and yet the utilization and impact of this fund is at best questionable.
“The House is also aware that the factors fueling insecurity ranging from illicit drug trade, human trafficking and proliferation of small arms is a serious threat to the development of Kaduna State and the Nation and therefore a coordinated effort encompassing all security apparatus and relevant agencies that include and not limited to Army, Navy, Air force, Police, Civil Defense, Immigration, Customs, NDLEA, DSS, DIA, NIA, Military Intelligence, Financial Intelligence Unit to track terrorism funding, NAPTIP, Refugee Commission anchored by the Office of the National Security must quit working in silos and draw up and execute a comprehensive plan.
“A Marshall plan on security with short-, medium- and long-term goals with specific timelines that holds security personnel found incapable accountable and to be replaced with capable hands.
“The House is cognizant that Kaduna State borders the North-Western states of Zamfara, Katsina and Kano, borders the North-Eastern State of Bauchi and the North Central States of Plateau, Nasarawa, Abuja and Niger and therefore an isolated plan for just Kaduna alone will be ineffective without taking cognizant of border communities and even neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin Republic and the wider Sahel.”
To this end, the House mandated ONSA to coordinate and galvanize all security and intelligence networks to develop and execute a proactive master plan to restore security with defined plans on coordinating with neighbouring countries and the plan must include boots on ground land and aerial sweep of locations that include but not limited to Kuyambana Forest in Zamfara, Kamuka Forest in Kaduna, Falgore Forest in Kano, Borgu and Zugurma Forests in Niger State.
The lawmakers further tasked the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), to revisit and optimize fully the Acts passed for the National Counter Terrorism Centre as well as The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, and ensure that they fully serve the purpose of their establishment.
The lawmakers also tasked the federal government to absolve the military and security establishment from the restrictive envelope budget system, allowing them to develop a robust budget that is based on need assessments that reflects security peculiarities and reality on ground.
Hence, the House mandated its Committee on finance to investigate the utilization and effectiveness of the Safe School Initiative Fund and report back to the House within 4 weeks.
After observing a minute of silence for lives lost, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas mandated the joint Committees on National Security, Finance and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
