Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on Monday said the Senate is also not happy with the security situation in the country.
This is even as he has said the Senate will back the executive arm’s plans to deploy soldiers on the roads to curb the activities of bandits and kidnappers.
Omo-Agege said this while fielding questions from State House Correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Senate President who said he was in the Presidential Villa just to say hello to President Buhari, when asked what the National Assembly was going to do to assuage Nigerians who felt the government is not doing enough to tackle insecurity, said a position has already been taken.
According to him, “We have taken a position on this. We are not happy like most Nigerians about what is going on in places most especially Zamfara. We believe that the head of the security architecture in Zamfara State being the commissioner of police can do more than they have already done. We are encouraging them to do that because Mr. President has provided everything that ought to be given to them, everything in terms of funding received, in terms of acquisition of weaponry that has been provided for them. It is now left for them to justify the positions they hold in Zamfara and other states of course.”
On the government contemplation to deploy soldiers as canvassed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Omo-Agege said they will back the move absolutely.
He said: “Absolutely. On a good day it is not something we would encourage because as much as possible you will want to keep the military in the barracks but because of the exigencies of the moment we have no choice but to encourage that. Nigerians need to be assured of their safety at all times, that is the essence of governance as guaranteed by the constitution. Therefore as canvassed and indeed ordered by the Vice President, that we have the army provide security at the check points, if that will go a long way to prevent this kidnapping and banditry, why not?”
Osinbajo had during his visit to the residence of the Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, on a condolence visit over the murder of his daughter, Mrs Funke Olakunrin along Benin-Sagamu on Friday last week by suspected herdsmen, disclosed that government would be engaging the military to mount flashpoints on the roads in order curb the activities of armed bandits and kidnappers among others.
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