‘Executive, legislative harmony responsible for calm in polity’

Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity Suraju Ajibola Basiru, in this interview with reporters in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, attributes the calm in the polity to the collaboration between the legislative and executive arms of government. ADEKUNLE JIMOH was there

 

The insecurity in Nigeria today is disturbing. What is the Senate doing to address the problem?

The security situation in the country is very worrisome and has pre-occupied the Senate in the last one year. No less than 20 resolutions have been moved and considered in the last one year dealing with various manifestations of the state of insecurity and putting forward different resolutions to address the problems. One of the highpoints of the intervention of the senate is the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Nigeria Security Challenges which report was considered and approved in the Senate plenary of Tuesday 5th day of May 2020.

It will be recalled that the Senate set up an Ad-hoc Committee on Nigeria Security Challenges on Wednesday 29th January 2020 under the Chairmanship of Sen Yahaya A. Abdullahi, the Senate Leader. The committee in its report approved by the Senate made wide ranging recommendations which were also approved by the senate, their recommendations include; that the Senate should urge the executive to direct the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Inspector General of Police to “decentralize the police command structure with operational and budgetary powers” vested in the following zonal commands as follows; Kano/Jigawa/Kastina; Sokoto/Zamfara/Kebbi; Kaduna/Niger/FCT;Ekiti/Kwara/Kogi;Benue/Plateau/Nassarawa;Bauchi/Yobe/Borno;Adamawa/Taraba/Gombe;Lagos/Ogun;Oyo/Osun/Ondo;Edo/Delta/Bayelsa;Rivers/Akwabom/CrossRivers;Imo/Abia; Anambra/Enugu/Ebonyo.

The Senate also urged the Federal Government to set up zonal security advisory Committees at each Zonal Commands proposed above to advise on the security challenges facing each zone. Recommendations were also made for the expansion of the State Security Council and constitution of Area Command, Local Government and Ward Level Advisory Councils.

The Senate urged the Federal Government to direct the Ministry of Police affairs and the Inspector General of Police to immediately implement the Community Policing Strategy involving local stakeholders at the grassroots including traditional rulers and local notable personalities with a view to addressing local security challenges. The Senate also urged the state assemblies to make necessary laws to legalize community policing to be established at the Local Government level and that the State Governors should fund the community policing from grants appropriated to each Local Government. The Federal Government is also urged to financially support the community policing initiative with an annual grant. The Senate resolved that the following laws are to be amended immediately The Armed Forces Act CAP A20 LFN 2004; National Security Agencies Act, LFN 2004; Police Act CAP P19, LFN 2004; Immigration Act, CAP P1 LFN 2004; Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (Establishment) Act NO 2, 2003 and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense (Amendment) Act No, 6. 2007; Customs and Excise Management Act CAP C45 LFN 2004; Nigerian Communications Commission Act CAP N94 LFN, 2004; the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, No 23, 2007; and Review of the Evidence Act in the Judicial Administration.

The Senate has also invited the inspector general of Police to appear and brief the Senate on the state of security and in particular the concept and implementation of community policing.

At the legislative level, the senate in July 2020 passed a reform of the Police Act seeking an overhaul of the Police law ever since the inherited colonial police legislation. Knowing the effect of the economy of the issue of insecurity, the Senate has also been active in legislative actions aim at improving the economy and governance in Nigeria.

Don’t you think that there should be an extended palliative from the presidency for Nigeria, because the hardship is generally biting harder?

Certainly, the economic challenges brought about by the Covid-19 Pandemic and the drastic loss of revenue because of falling price of crude oil in international market has negatively affected our people economically. However, even before the present unfortunate incident, the federal government has since 2015 been concerned about poverty alleviation and social intervention for the welfare of the poor.  The Federal Government has never withdrawn from its responsibility of seeing to the welfare of the people. There is the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme of the FG, where money is given to the aged, the physically challenged and widows even before the outbreak of Covid-19, and it continues. Second, at the outset of total lockdown in March, the Federal Government sent trailers of food stuff particularly grains to States that worse hit by the pandemic. This palliative continued till last month. Besides, the Government extended batches A and B of the N-power scheme beyond its expiration to serve as palliatives to beneficiaries. Mind you, many civil servants particularly those who are grade levels 10 and below and teachers who were excused from work or are still being excused, received full salaries, at a time many big companies were groaning under the weight of the effects of the killer virus. We are not saying the Government has done it all. But we continue to explore opportunities to make life comfortable for Nigerians. Lest I forget, public Office holders across the nation also extendeded hands to their people when the hardship was bitten harder.

As the lockdown is being finally relaxed towards resumption of schools and other government agencies, don’t you think there should be a law by the National Assembly to enforce residents of Nigeria to obey the safety protocols in view of the rising positive cases of Covid-19 across the states?

The government is not taking things for granted as far as safety of the generality of Nigerians is concerned. As for schools, the process of re-opening has been gradual and cautious. The re-opening is to start with the graduating classes. Government is not talking about full opening yet.

Second, safety protocols and precautions have been given to schools, public and private. Every school has to provide all the necessary facilities before the whistle could be blown. The responsibility of monitoring lies heavily on the ministries of education in each State.

For instance, in my state, Osun, there is a law already against flouting the safety protocols with unimaginable consequences. When we are successful with the graduating classes,we can now extend it to other classes.

But, let me tell you, the media have been a wonderful partner in this regard, but they still have to do more. It’s unfortunate that those who are supposed to know are misleading others, telling them the Government is using the pandemic to make money from the World Bank.

How can people be playing politics with their lives? Coronavirus is real. The pandemic is killing followers as it is also leaders. The task of ensuring safety is collective and not that of the government alone. Public enlightenment is very key.

What is the Senate doing to ensure free, fair and credible governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States?

To ensure free, fair and credible election in Edo and Ondo or any other state lies first with INEC. INEC and the parties involved have to play the games according to the rule. When the two sides agree with the provisions of the Electoral laws, next is the security agents, and finally voters. The Senate is made up of members from different parties with different ideologies and disposition, but the same cannot be said of the law. If any party feels cheated or aggrieved, the Courts are there to arbitrate.