Senate summons communications minister, Pantami over insecurity

The Senate has mandated its committees on Legislative Compliance and Communications to summon the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami.

Senate asked the committee to impress on the Minister, the need to implement the resolutions of the Senate regarding security issues related to the mandate of his ministry.

The lawmaker took the decision following a resolution after the consideration of a motion on increasing insecurity in the country.

Senator representing Taraba South, Emmanuel Bwacha, moved the motion, rising under Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules.

Emmanuel Bwacha noted that the rate of insecurity in Nigeria had not only increased astronomically but had reached a melting point.

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He said the unfortunate development had led to kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, assassination and other criminal activity in the country.

According to him, “The assassination of the Nasarawa State APC Chairman and other high profile cases are still fresh in our memories.

“A Chinese national was recently abducted in my community, his whereabouts is still unknown.

“There is growing suspicion of the complicity of officials of state saddled with the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of the citizens but compromised in the process.

“This is heightened by the arrest of several security operatives involved in armed robbery and kidnapping activities across the country.

“It is only in Nigeria that communication facilities can be used without a biometric process, no valid identification of passport details (in the case of foreigners) in place to check abuse,” the senator added.

He added that bandits and terrorists now negotiate for ransom using telephones and get away with it.

He said, “How can we be so negligent and insensitive to the safety and security of citizens?

“Senate is concerned that the confidence between the protected and the protector is being increasingly eroded resulting in the breakdown of law and order as demonstrated in the #EndSARS protest which was subsequently hijacked by miscreants.

“The Senate further notes that political permutations across the landscape are attracting politicians to recruit criminals for the purpose of destabilising the corporate existence of Nigeria.

Bwacha said, “These evil intents can be easily achieved given the poor control over communication facilities viz inability of our security apparatus and service providers to effectively manage this all-important sector.’’