JUST-IN: National Assembly Complex Facing Many Security Threats, Says Lawmaker

The chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Internal Security of the National Assembly, Hon. Garba Ibrahim Muhammad, has said that lawmakers received threats from terrorists and protesters to bomb and lock up the National Assembly Complex.

According to him, the National Assembly was going through a lot of security challenges, having experienced car and motorcycle thefts, vandalism, forgery of its identity cards, unwanted visitors accessing the complex without documentation and petty trading.

Muhammad said this at a pubic hearing on the Bill seeking to establish the Legislative Security Directorate – to provide for the qualification and condition of service of the Sergeant-at-Arms and other Personnel of the Directorate, at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said lawmakers were exposed to threats from constituents and others who gained easy access into their offices without any prior and formal appointment.

Muhammad said the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures were not taken, will truncate the legislative activities in the National Assembly, leading to no representation, oversight, annual budget, among others.

He said that was why the Bill under consideration was very important because it seeks to address all the challenges as aforesaid and adopt the global best practices of parliamentary security procedures and architecture.

“The National Assembly is going through a lot of security challenges; we have experienced car thefts, motor cycle thefts, vandalism, fake Identity Cards, unwanted visitors accessing the National Assembly without documentation, petty trading which make National Assembly to look like a small market.

“We have received threats from terrorist to bomb National Assembly Complex and threat from protesters to lock up the National Assembly. Legislators are exposed to threats from constituents and others who gained easy access into their offices without any formal appointment

“It is obvious that with the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures are not taken, it will truncate the legislative activities in the National Assembly and if the activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, there will be no plenary at all, and that will destabilise legislative procedure, democracy and the stability of the system, and our nation at large.

“Effective security management needs a total approach that requires various elements to be integrated together in order to secure our environment for legislative procedure to function effectively and maximally. That is why this Bill is very important, because it seeks to address all the challenges as aforesaid and adopt the world best practices of Parliamentary security procedures and architecture.

“In conclusion, the need for effective security measures in the National Assembly cannot be overemphasised, this is because Parliament has to be accessible to the public in order to uphold democratic values, making it difficult to implement stringent security measures without affecting others interest.

“However, this Bill is committed to ensuring best security architecture in National Assembly, to protect Legislators, Staff, Visitors and Property. I also want to admonish our State Houses of Assembly to imbibe the same,” the lawmaker added.