June 10, (THEWILL)- Members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday expressed support for a Bill seeking to alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution to give legal backing to states security outfit.
Leading the debate on its general principles, the sponsor, Hon. Oberuakpefe Afe (PDP, Delta), explained that the Bill seeks to provide community security outfits to assist the Nigerian Police in different communities of Nigeria as the pockets of violence seem to have overwhelmed and overstretched the police personnel.
He said the security agencies are saddled with enormous responsibility of maintaining law and order, hence the proposed legislation if passed would complement the Nigeria Police Force to tackle insecurity in the country.
Afe further said that the security needs of Nigeria cannot be left to measures that have proven to have less effect and many challenges.
As a progressive Parliament, he stated, the House needs to rise to the challenge using the legal and legislative backing of the constitution review for the benefit of Nigerians.
He said the country can no longer deny the fact that the state or local police are performing the function of the police.
”Each state is now coming up with different security outfit and there is need for us to structure it so as to ensure proper coordination. If passed, the states security outfit would help in intelligence gathering. The duty of maintaining law and protection of lives and properties would be complemented as well,” he said.
Afe added that the amendment would regulate the local police in order to have a structural operation.
When put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase, the Bill got the support of majority of the lawmakers.
The Bill was voted, passed for the second reading and referred to Special Ad-hoc Committee on the Constitution Review.
Also at plenary, the House called on President Muhamadu Buhari to embark on massive recruitment of security personnel of the country to boost the security system.
The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a Motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Honourable Mansur Soro on the need to ensure security of all the citizens across the country.
Soro, who frowned on the audacity of bandits raiding various communities across the country with disregard for security presence or fear for constituted authorities, lamented that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes move around terrorising communities and fully armed in large numbers in broad daylight.
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