Senate President Ahmad Lawan has said that the issue of insecurity remains the biggest challenge that must be prioritized and tackled headlong by constant engagement between the executive and legislature.
Lawan stated this on Tuesday in a speech delivered to welcome Senators back from the upper chamber’s two-month annual recess.
He said efforts must be made to sustain the fight against insecurity by ensuring adequate funding for security agencies in the 2022 budget to be submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari later this month to the National Assembly for consideration.
“Distinguished colleagues, let me applaud and commend our gallant Armed Forces for the recent success recorded in their fight against insurgency and banditry in our country. I want to urge them to sustain the campaigns until the insurgents and bandits are rooted out in our Country.
“Distinguished colleagues, you would recall that we approved the Supplementary Budget request of the Executive in July this year, just before we proceeded for the annual summer recess. The National Assembly approved over N800 Billion for our Security and Intelligence Agencies.
“While that provision was appropriate and indeed necessary, we should sustain the trajectory of increase in funds and resources to the security sector.
“Therefore, we should consider a ramp up of more resources for our security agencies in the 2022 Appropriation. This also requires that our Defence and Intelligence related Committees must step up their oversight on the Agencies.
“Distinguished colleagues, the fight against the security challenges in our Country requires continued engagements between the National Assembly and the Executive arms of Government.
“It also requires continued engagements with citizens, for the necessary and desired results to be achieved. We must therefore remain resolute and focused in achieving those. The National Assembly, indeed the Federal Government, has no more serious challenges to tackle than insecurity today.”
