The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says internal security challenges are threatening the existence of the Nigerian state as they undermine public faith in the government’s ability to fulfil its fundamental obligation to protect citizens’ lives and property.
He spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the opening of a two-day retreat organised by Conrad Adenauer Stiftung for members of the House of Representatives Committee on Security, National Security and Intelligence and Related Agencies.
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He said the realities of the moment required that the truth be told about the things the nation had not got right “so that we can then focus our energies on making sure that we do better for the future”.
He said Nigeria was currently experiencing, in many parts of the country, significant internal security challenges that had disrupted the many citizens’ lives and led to a loss of lives and property at a scale that could not easily be quantified.
Gbajabiamila said the three arms of government had a shared responsibility to take all necessary actions tackle the challenges head-on as “This is what the people who elected us rightly expect.”
According to him, hopes for Nigeria depend on the ability of the government to guarantee the safety of people, security of their property and investments.
“I think we should have the roles of each security agencies clearly defined.
“It’s important we understand the separation.
“There’s no way you can have a government that thrives without security.
“Anything else relies on security,” he said.
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