We Need Collective Effort To Tackle Security Challenges – Senate

The Senate minority leader, Senator Abba Moro, has said the ongoing public hearing on national security is a deliberate effort to diagnose, understand and collectively address the hydra-headed security challenges confronting country.

This is as Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has called for collaboration among stakeholders in the South-South geo-political zone in order to set the pace for greater peace and security in the region.

Moro spoke yesterday during the South-South zonal public hearing on national security, which was organised by the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on National Security Summit in Port Harcourt.

He informed that the public hearing is a unique platform for frank deliberations and assessments geared towards procuring probable solutions that will mitigate the security challenges of the country.

“The Senate as a responsive lawmaking institution, recognises that no security act can succeed without a clear understanding of local dynamics and peculiarities of security occurrences across the country.

“We are here today to listen to security experts, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations and those directly affected by the very threats that this summit seeks to address.

“Be assured that the information we should gather from this summit would undoubtedly form the basis of our recommendations to the Senate, which will serve as guides to our legislative interventionist measures, budgetary provisions and policy reforms that will revamp national security landscape,” the Senate minority leader said:

In his remarks, Governor Fubara stated that all hands must be on deck in shared responsibility of securing lives and property to ensure lasting peace and development across the region.

The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, emphasised that, “Security is not the business of Government alone, but a shared responsibility and concern of every person.”

He said: “As a Government, we are not unaware of our constitutional responsibility to ensure the protection and safety of lives and property in the State, including the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

“These objectives we have assiduously pursued with robust collaboration and partnership with the federal government and the various security agencies, in providing the necessary equipment such as operational vehicles, boats, and even aircraft, accommodation, and support, including the welfare of both serving personnel and the Nigerian Legionnaires,” he said.