By Haruna Salami
The Senate at its plenary on Tuesday debated the deteriorating security situation in the country and resolved that the entire government has failed Nigerians who elected them.
The security situation in the country once again came to the fore through a point of order by Senator Bello Mandiya, (Katsina South) who noted with sadness the recent terrorist attack and abduction of students at Government Science School, Kankara, Katsina state by gunmen on Friday, December 11, 2020.
He said Senste was “aware that the recent attack and abduction of school children at Government Science School, Kankara, Katsina State is coming on the heels of yet to be resolved abduction of 270 girls which took place at Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State in 2014, and abduction of about 100 school girls at Government Science and Technical School, Dapchi, Yobe State in 2018;
“Concerned that like the other incidents of school children abduction that took place in Chibok and Dapchi, several years back, if no immediate action is taken to rescue the Kankara School boys, their fate may be sealed in the hands of terrorists.”
Contributing to the debate, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger East) said “everyday, people are dying and nothing is happening, and we continue to talk, we continue to go and console them. We can’t bring those lives back.”
“We can’t continue to be leaders, when the people we are leading are being killed everyday. What are the police doing?
Sani said yesterday (Monday), “armed bandits were roaming the streets of Tegina, going to buy bread and geisha (canned fish), and nobody is saying anything to them. And then we will continue to live here and think we are at peace with ourselves?
He said “there’s need for this chamber to draw the attention of Mr. President that enough is enough, these Service Chiefs Should go. We should give impetus to new blood.
“There are people that have new ideas. Technology is taking over everything today. We don’t have the army, we don’t have the police, why don’t we deploy the technology?
“Just recently, someone said we should bring mercenaries to Nigeria, why should we bring mercenaries to Nigeria when we have vibrant youths that are ready to stand for this country.
“I’m not emotional, I’m being honest and talking from the heart. Enough of this thing.
“Mr. President, I wish the National Assembly will take a drastic action on this. We have the powers to appropriate; we have been appropriating. Where are these funds going to? Are these Service Chiefs the only people that can defend the territorial integrity of this country?”, Senator Sani queried.
Senator Kabiru Barkiya (Katsina Central), while describing the Kankara kidnapping as a “sad incident”, advised the National Assembly to take urgent steps towards curbing the increasing spate of insecurity in the country.
Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), in a rather short statement, demanded President Muhammadu Buhari to “Bring back our boys.”
Senator Olujimi Abiodun (Ekiti South) said ” this is not the right time for us as a country. Presidency is not an award, but a call to duty. They don’t see us as partners. This government has failed all of us. 333 students are up to the two chambers of the National Assembly. We should not pass the budget unless they do something”.
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