By Joy Odor
Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, has expressed concerns about the current Service Chiefs’ ability to address Nigeria’s security challenges.
He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to establish a Presidential Security Advisory Committee comprising former senior security personnel to provide guidance on tackling insecurity.
Senator Ningi who made this known on Tuesday in an interview while reacting to the motion on the proposed two-day National Security Summit sponsored by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) to mitigate the insecurity suggested that appointing security chiefs based on merit, rather than tribe, religion, or political affiliations, could help mitigate the security situation.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the proposed National Security Summit, fearing it might expose some invitees to their enemies.
The Senator called on the Senate Committees on Army, Navy, Airforce, Police, and National Security Adviser to conduct thorough oversight on the security agencies and provide actionable recommendations to the Presidency.
“To the best of my knowledge, we’ve not heard anything from the committees, so I challenge anyone to come forward and tell the world what the Committees have said or have brought to the Red Chamber” he stressed.
“What stops the Committees from bringing all the Service Chiefs together and interrogate them and reporting back to the plenary. What have the Committees found in the last one year through their oversight.
“I thought the issue of security is much more than any other thing right now in Nigeria because of its spreading nature and disturbing nature. There is no state of the federation that is not affected one way or the other on the issue of security.
“And as a member of the National Assembly, I thought what we needed to do was to reflect on our own capacity to oversight these security agencies. And that is why I started with the Constitution, Section 11, on public order and security.
“And then also quoted Section 80, Subsection 1, Subsection 2, Subsection 3, and Subsection 4, which give us the leverage of appropriating powers of operation, where, which one goes to where.
“I think, simplistic, if we had these powers, and we do have these powers, we must interrogate ourselves, as a member of the National Assembly, who have five different security-dependent standing committees, committee on army, committee on defense, committee on the Air Force, National Security Advisor, committee on police, and so on and so forth.
“What did our committees in the last one year find out in the course of oversight of these agencies?
You know, I lamented, of how many service men we’ve lost, in the last two months. And this information is available to other security chiefs. No synergy, no understanding, no diplomatic.
“Who has been sent out of his job because he has failed one over one over the other? Look at the way the Boko Haram are killing our people in Gorno, in Yobi, just the last two weeks. Well armed boys, by the way, before them.
“What is the idea of all this idea that every part of the world now is using drones? Where are our drones? Why are we not using drones? Why? Why are we having conversation with those who pick people, bandits, kidnappers, through the media, through phones, through our service providers, through banks.
“When asked if by God’s grace he becomes the President of Nigeria, how would he tackle insecurity, Sen Ningi affirmed that if tomorrow he would appoint people with credibility, integrity, have history, have experience and have the competence.
According to him, he would not look at appointing military chiefs, and would not look at political background or ethnic background.
“If I am the president, hopefully one day I will be, I will make sure that I appoint people who have the credibility, the integrity, the history, the experience, the competence. I won’t look at, in appointing military chiefs, I mean security chiefs, I wouldn’t look at political background. I wouldn’t look at ethnic background.
“But l still believe that the president’s security service chiefs leadership will give us a new way after 2 years, I have my doubts. Some of them are very good people that are Close to me. But I don’t think they have what it takes to deliver us out of this corner” he lamented.
He expressed disappointment over the underutilization of the Super Tucanos Jets, which were acquired at a significant cost.
Ningi emphasized the need for the National Assembly to hold security agencies accountable and investigate the limitations surrounding the use of the Tucanos Jets.
He also highlighted the importance of leveraging technology, such as drones, to enhance security operations.
The senator concluded by stating that if given the opportunity to lead, he would appoint security chiefs based on credibility, integrity, experience, and competence, without considering political or ethnic backgrounds.
