Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, has said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s call for the creation of state police in face of rising security challenges in the country, is very good suggestion and would be taken on board in the National Assembly.
Lawan, who was also in the Presidential Villa to observe Friday’s Jumat prayers, said the summit is a typical example of collaboration, cooperation and partnership between the executive and the legislature.
Osinbajo had advocated for State Police and community policing at the opening of a two-day summit on national security organized by the National Assembly Ad-HOC Committee to review the current infrastructure in Nigeria, in Abuja, said that the Federal Government cannot realistically provide security for Nigerian from the centre, explaining that Nigeria has been unable to meet the United Nations’ recommendation of one policeman to 400 persons.
The Senate Majority Leader when asked if the lawmakers were in support of State Police as advocated by the Vice President, he said, “Well, I’m not a legislature as such because I am only one member of the legislature. But as a committee member of the adhoc committee on security and the review of security infrastructure in Nigeria, I believe that the suggestion by the Vice President that we should go the way of state Police and even consider community policing, is very good suggestion and we are going to take it on board in the National Assembly.”
On if the synergy between the executive and the legislature will solve the security problems in the country, Lawan said, “Of course. That is what we have been able to achieve with this. The Summit was declared open by the Vice President on behalf of Mr. President and that was typical example of collaboration, cooperation and partnership between the executive and the legislature. And we are so happy that this partnership is working.
“We have not concluded because the summit will continue on Monday and that will be the end of this particular summit and then the Senate will pass resolutions which the executive will definitely consider and implement by the grace of God.”
Asked how confident he was that the solutions to the security challenges were in sight, Lawan said, “Of course. We should be thinking in a very positive manner that we should be able to solve our problems, if we cannot solve the problems then why did we even venture into it? I’m an optimistic person and I believe that coming together, the executive and the legislature we can solve any problem in Nigeria if we have the support of Nigerians. It is not only those of us in government that are suppose to do everything to solve these kind of challenges but we need the continuous, and relentless support of citizens to ensure that we are able to provide the kind of solutions we need.
On the appointment of Bola Tinubu to reconcile aggrieved All Progressive Congress (APC), members, Lawan said though late, it was better late than never.
The Senate Majority Leader said, “Fantastic! In fact that that committee should have been constituted long time ago because APC is plagued by some internal issues and I believe that these are issues that are surmountable. The Tinubu committee will definitely add value into reconciling the warring sides so to speak. Time is against us, we have to really kickstart these process of reconciliation immediately and I believe that as a family we should be able to come out very much more united that we were before.”
