The Senate Monday took a swipe on the current security architecture in Nigeria which it said has failed.
It consequently declared that the failing security architecture need to be restructured in arresting the worsening situation at hand .
Giving the damning verdict while fielding questions from journalists at the Senate Guest House in Maitama, the President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan said though series of efforts have been made in the past by both the executive and the legislative arm of government to address challenges of insecurity in the country but the worsening rate of the problem requires restructuring of the failing architecture.
He said: “We have had series of engagements before but the escalation now has made it mandatory that we have to have a definite position as a government because we just cannot play politics with security issues.
“Lives are stake. Therefore the Senate will take a position on how security in the country should be. We believe that the security architecture should be restructured.
“The present system does not give us the type of outcome that we need. Whether it is the federal, state or local government; Even the traditional rulers or others, the most important thing is to secure the lives and property of Nigerians and we would do that.
“Apparently and obviously, all hands must be on deck to ensure that we bring back a better security situation like we had before.
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“Presently, the story is not good in many areas you have so much happening that is destabilising our communities, killing of our people and we believe that we owe Nigerians the responsibility to intervene to work with the executive arm of government, actually to work together with other tiers of government, the States and local government to ensure that we change the way we approach security issues in this country.
“The present arrangement is not working effectively and efficiently and we have to do something , and this time around, there shouldn’t be buck passing, we have to be forthright, we have to say it as it is, and we have to do it as it is required.”
Contrary to insinuation that the Senate would denied its Deputy President , Ovie Omo-Agege from heading the Constitution review committee to be set up soon, Lawan said Omo- Agege will head the committee as Chairman in line with age long tradition of the Senate and the House of Representatives as far as such committees are concerned.
“Such insinuation is out of place , it is traditional that whenever a committee on Constitution review is set up in both the Senate and the House of Representatives for the Deputy President of the Senate and Deputy Speaker to head them as Chairman.
“The Senate will set up the committee latest by next week and the Deputy President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege will chair it.
“He has the capacity , experience and knowledge to to give the committee the leadership required,” he said
