National Assembly identifies cause of insecurity

The National Assembly has blamed the persistent and rising insecurity in the country on non-performance and lack of the required tools to succeed.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, gave the indication yesterday in response to a Point of Order by Senator Abubakar Kyari (APC, Borno North) drawing the attention of the Senate to fresh attacks by Boko Haram in his state leaving over 80 citizens dead.

Though Lawan admitted that the armed forces had their challenges, he said the Senate would continue to look at their challenges with the view to addressing them.

“Our stand should be that people should occupy offices based on their performance. There is no point for somebody to continue to be there, if they are not registering successes, having been given the necessary tools to fight,” he said.

BUT the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) have lampooned the Federal Government over rising cases of killings in the country, while calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to rise to the occasion and save lives and property.

The group’s criticism of government’s poor handling of security in the country came on the heels of the alarm raised by officials of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) yesterday, of fresh killings in Zango Kataf Council of Kaduna.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts is threatening to issue a warrant of arrest for heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over their failure to honour its invitation to answer audit queries against them.

Chairman of the committee, Sen. Matthew Urhoghide, indicated that the committee had no choice but to compel the defaulting agencies to appear before it in line with Section 89 of the Constitution. He told reporters in Abuja that the heads of government agencies had consistently refused to appear before the panel.

The defaulting MDAs include the Ministry of Information, Culture and National Orientation, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Solid Minerals and the National Population Commission (NPC).

In another vein, the Senate has confirmed the appointment of 42 ambassadorial nominees after the consideration of the report of its committee on foreign affairs.

The upper chamber also confirmed the nomination of James Kolo as Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) following the consideration of the report by Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs.

President Muhammadu Buhari in letter dated May 6, 2020, said the appointment of the nominees was in accordance with Section 171 (1),(2)(c) and subsection (4) of the Constitution.

The Senate, thereafter, adjourned plenary to Tuesday, June 23, 2020.