The Senate yesterday gave security chiefs two weeks to submit request for special funding to address the rising insecurity across the country.
The resolution followed a four-hour closed doors meeting with the service chiefs at the Senate chamber on the proliferation of firearms, spate of killings by terrorists and kidnapping by hoodlums in across the country.Their appearance followed a motion passed by the Senate on May 8 after bandits attacked Gwaska village in Kaduna State where 70 people were killed.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin led service chiefs to the meeting which started by 12.27pm lasted till around 5pm.
In attendance were the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS) Lawal Daura and representatives of Comptroller General of Immigration and Comptroller General of Customs.
The IGP, Ibrahim Idris who has been having a running battle with the Senate was represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Habila Joshak.
Speaking on outcome of the meeting, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said at the closed session, the security chiefs answered questions from senators on issues bordering on insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping and other security matters.
“On the whole, we decided that on our part, certain outstanding bills or protocols that needed to be fast-tracked, be addressed immediately to see that they are passed as soon as possible in order to strengthen the nation’s security architecture.
“Secondly, the Senate observed the issue of underfunding of security agencies and agreed that there is need for special funding for them to be able to carry out their mandates.
“Therefore, we gave the security chiefs two weeks to present their own budget on this area of special funding to the National Assembly which we think will go a long way in improving the security situation in the country,” he said.
He said the issue of coordination among the security agencies was also discussed. He said they have resolved to find ways to strengthen that aspect of security through constitutional means.
“By and large, we all are committed to ensure that these unfortunate trends of killings are brought to the end. We all agreed to continue to work very closely in order to address these issues of insecurity and we are confident that things will improve in this area,” he said.
“We hope that over the next couple of weeks, we will begin to take action on some of these things for which we have made commitments,” he said.
Briefing newsmen, the spokesperson of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC,Niger) said the special funding would have to come as a supplementary budget from the President. Sabi said the special funding has no connection with the $1bn earmarked for the armed forces operation in the North East.
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