Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday said for Nigeria to overcome its security challenges, efforts must be made to seek diversified solutions besides the military option to the problems of banditry, militancy and insurgency.
Lawan made this known in his remarks after a point of order raised by Senator Rochas Okorocha to draw the attention of the Senate to the heightening spate of insecurity in Imo state.
Lawan said the National Assembly has equally been consistent with the approach in coming up with legislative interventions needed to address the security challenges of the country.
He said such interventions include job creation, and the introduction of required legislation to promote economic development from local and foreign investments.
“This Senate and, indeed, the entire National Assembly has been very consistent in trying to find some kind of solution – a more permanent solution to ending the security situation in the country and, of course, we will continue to do so.
“[And] I agree that we need to diversify our means of getting the solution to the numerous myriads of security challenges across the country”, Lawan said.
Senator Okorocha, while coming under Order 43 (Personal Explanation) of the Senate Rules, lamented what he described as the “escalating state of insecurity” in Imo state.
He, therefore, sought the intervention of the upper chamber in finding a solution to the problem.
Okorocha said: “Where I represent, Mr. President, there is no day that passes in the state without one ugly story of kidnapping, killing, maiming, burning of innocent people’s homes, shops on a daily basis.”
