Senate resolves to meet Buhari, service chiefs over rising attacks by Boko Haram, bandits

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan says the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila would meet President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the resurgence of insurgency in the country.

The decision for the meeting was part of the resolution of the Senate following a Point of Order raised by Sen. Abubakar Kyari (Borno-APC) during Thursday’s plenary.

Kyari said there was need to find lasting solutions to matters which were of urgent national importance.

He said that the attack by Boko Haram on a village in Gubio Local Government in Borno on June 9 left over 90 persons killed and over 50 persons critically injured.

While relying on Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate’s Standing Rules, Kyari noted that the attacks were becoming very worrisome in view of the fact that the Nigerian armed forces recently recorded successes in the fight against insurgency.

Contributing, Sen. Ali Ndume (Borno-APC) said that the killings had been going on in the last 11 years.

“In 2015, we had some kind of relief when this government took over. But it is not over until it is completely over.

“The problem is not restricted to the North East. We have issues of banditry and herdsmen conflicts in the North Central and other security challenges.

“What I will suggest is that Mr President (Lawan) you have to step a step further. It is not just this motion, I think you need to see President Buhari and talk one on one on this issue,” Ndume said.

Lawan said that what was required in tackling insurgency was to assist and to redefine the necessary solutions.

He urged the Federal Government to immediately begin the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Nigeria’s Security Challenges as a way of addressing the nation’s current security challenges.

“Around 2005, there was a group called Taliban; they appeared in Yobe East. This Taliban was somehow dealt with.

“Boko Haram has metamorphosed from initially a group of religious zealots into now an industry. It is an industry because what they do is no more religious; they have people from different faith, different countries who are part and parcel of Boko Haram.

“This Senate passed so many resolutions including the reports of the various ad hoc committees we set up on security; but the problem persists.

“I don’t want to say meeting the President is something we have to reveal. But of course, it is natural; issues like this will be of interest to us to discuss with the President, but we have been doing that.

“What is necessary is for us to persist. Our armed forces have their challenges and therefore we continue to look at those challenges and try to address them.

“Where anyone is found wanting, our stand should be that people should occupy offices based on their performance. There is no point if somebody is not registering successes for such person to continue to be there. But that is if you give the person the necessary tools to fight.

“We should give them the necessary tools and then we will hold them accountable,” Lawan said.