President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged to stop alleged moves by the National Assembly to restructure the Office of National Security Adviser (NSA) through a private bill.
The plea came from the co-convener of the Civil Society for Peace, Security and Development (CSPSD), Mr Obadiah Solomon Ovye, who argued that if passed as drafted, the bill will compromise national security.
At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Ovye claimed that the Office of the NSA is working in cahoots with the National Assembly to render prostrate the entire security apparatus in the country.
Ovye alleged that the National Assembly was being cajoled to pass the bill aimed at achieving the goal in breach of laid down rules.
The group wondered why the proposed legislation which seeks to expand the role for the NSA was neither an Executive Bill nor emanated from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It expressed surprise that such a bill was not tabled before the National Security and Defence Councils for their inputs before being taken to the National Assembly.
The group therefore called on the president, all relevant stakeholders and other concerned Nigerians to oppose what it termed: “The ill- intentioned and ill-conceived bill” which is aimed at monopolising the country’s security apparatus at the detriment of national interest.
Ovye said, “The legislation is harmful and we implore Mr President and other patriotic citizens to join hands in standing against it in order to protect the integrity of our country’s security.”
While justifying its position, the group asked: “Why was the public hearing for the bill earlier slated before the end of January 2024 hurriedly brought back to December 30, 2023 – a Saturday and without well circulated information for the change in date?
“Who is seeking to enact the Act on the argument of enhancing an institutional memory and effective performance of the responsibilities of the NSA? We wish to ask: What has happened to the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Special Services Office (PS SSO) designed to administratively coordinate the intelligence community and by implication serve as the institutional memory for national security management;
“Why does the NSA wish to become an agency when Section 4(2) of the National Security Act categorically states that: ‘The coordinator on National Security shall be a principal staff officer in the Office of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces?’
“Why does the NSA plan to operationalise his office with full compliments of permanent staff when such are already seconded by security agencies? Will this not enlarge the budget which the government is trying to reduce?
“From our investigations, it has been revealed that the Office of the NSA, has within its facility, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light weapons, a National Cybersecurity Commission and more worrisome, a recently built cell for holding suspects,” Oyve said.
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