Reps, Security, Intelligence, Others To Review Situation

House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence is set for a meeting with all security, intelligence, law enforcement, para military and others.

The proposed security roundtable will discuss the general state of affairs of the security and intelligence in Nigeria.

The chairman of the committee, Hon. Ahmed Satomi, disclosed this at the panel’s workshop on enhancing effective legislative oversight of the national security and intelligence sector in Nigeria, held in Abuja yesterday.

Satomi said the roundtables would hold at least once in a quarter are aimed at recommending practical solutions among other objectives to tackle the rising insecurity in the country.

He said the workshop aimed to enhancing the competency or capacity of members of this committee to carry out effective and efficient oversight as required.

“Some of the critical areas to be discussed during this summit includes; combating organised crimes, small arms and light weapons proliferations, cyber security, terrorism financing and its implication to national security. The resource persons chosen to handle each of the selected topics are probably the best in those areas in the country today.

“I am very optimistic that at the end 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, terrorism financing etc. This is apart from the seemingly intractable challenges of organized banditry, kidnappings, separatist agitations, terrorist attacks etc.

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

“We have already begun engagements with all security, Intelligence and Law enforcement agencies on these challenges. some of the feedback we received from the agencies are currently being analysed and will form the basis of the security roundtable which we plan to hold soon,” he added.

While declaring the workshop open, the speaker Hon Abbas Tajudeen said despite the constitutional mandate for oversight, there are several challenges that impede the effectiveness of legislative scrutiny over the national security and intelligence sector in Nigeria.

He said one of these challenges include limited capacity and expertise among lawmakers as the nature of national security and intelligence operations often involves classified information, intricate technologies, and sensitive strategies.

Represented by the deputy House leader, Hon. Abubakar Halims, the speaker said the other problem confronting lawmakers in this regard was poor and inadequate funding of Committee engagements.