House of Representatives has harped on the need to adopt home grown technological solution and incorporate domestic technology service providers in fighting insecurity in the county.
It urged the Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to speedily collaborate and adopt tech products of domestic agencies such as the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to fight insecurity.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Mohammed Omar Bio from Kwara at plenary on Tuesday who acknowledged that Nigeria is battling with all forms of insecurity ranging from banditry, terrorism and kidnapping.
He said recently in Kogi, Ekiti, Lagos, Zamfara, Kaduna, Taraba, Nasarawa states including FCT, citizens were kidnapped, ransom demanded and some killed including the three kings in Ekiti, Kwara and the young ones in Federal Capital Territory.
According to the lawmaker, solutions to insecurity are identified to be in tripartite nature of intelligence gathering, surveillance and communication.
Bio said Nigeria is blessed with individuals and agencies such as NIGCOMSAT, NASRDA and NITDA saddled with the responsibility of providing technological products to ensure adequate intelligence gathering, surveillance and effective communication.
He lamented that despite the presence of security agencies in Nigeria, all forms of insecurity continue unabated and in the case of kidnapping, contacts are established with the relatives of victims without instant tracking and apprehending of the criminals.
Bio said this indicated that the products of these agencies are not tapped by the respective security agencies in the country or strong collaboration in fighting the menace of insecurity in Nigeria.
He expressed worry that: “non-adoption of home-grown tech products and non-integration of domestic tech service provider agencies by the security agencies fighting insecurity ravaging the country will allow continuation of all forms of crimes in the country and continue to allow the citizens to live in fear.”
Also at plenary, the House mandated the Committee on Disabilities to investigate the compliance level of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAs) to the Disability Act, 2018.
This was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Lanre Okunola from Lagos who said, Sections 3–8 of the Act, specifies that persons with disability have the right to access the physical environment and buildings on an equal basis with others.
He said most persons with disability face stigmatisation, discrimination, violence, lack of access to physical structures such as transportation, health, education, housing and other necessities of life.
Okunola noted that the National Assembly passed the Act and it was signed into law by former President Muhammed Buhari, but most MDAs are yet to implement it which is contrary to section 1-21 of the Disability Act, 2018.
The lawmaker lamented that if the Act is not fully implemented, the challenges faced by persons with disabilities will persist and the socioeconomic development of Nigeria will remain impaired.
