WorldStage Newsonline– The House of Representatives had urged the Federal Government to discard the envelope budget system for security agencies in the country to ensure proper funding for their operations.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Ahmed Munir (APC-Kaduna state) at plenary on Tuesday.
Presenting the motion, Munir said that gunmen abducted about 200 students and their teachers at the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School and Government Secondary School in Kuriga Community on March 7.
He said that two months earlier in the same community, a school principal, Malam Abu Sufyan was killed days earlier and his wife and baby abducted.
“On Friday, March 8 gunmen attacked worshippers in a mosque at Angwar Makera, Kwasakwasa Community in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, with two persons declared dead.
“This worrisome trend of violence is seeping in to other parts of the state affecting persons of all religious and ethnic backgrounds.
“Concerned that despite the N3.25 trillion allocated to the defense and security sector on drones and other military equipment that could have tracked, located and rescued victims, there has been no respite as bulk of the actions by security personnel are reactionary rather than proactive,” he said.
The lawmaker said that the restrictive envelope system does not prioritise the actual needs assessment of the security sector interms of procurement, planning and recruitment of personnel.
Munir said that the factors fueling security challenge ranged from illicit drug trade, human trafficking and proliferation of small arms deals.
“Therefore, a coordinated effort encompassing all security apparatus and relevant agencies that include and not limited to Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Defense, Immigration, Customs, NDLEA, DSS, DIA, NIA, military intelligence, financial intelligence unit to track terrorism funding, NAPTIP and refugee commission.
“It should be anchored by the office of the national security adviser and they must quit working in silos and draw up and execute a comprehensive plan.
“A marshall plan on security with short-, medium- and long-term goals with specific timelines that holds security personnel found in incapable hands be replaced with capable hands,” he said.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas mandated the House Committee on Finance to investigate the utilisation and effectiveness of the Safe School Initiative Fund and report back to the house within four weeks
