The House of Representatives will demand more accountability from the security agencies on the performance of their budgetary allocations, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD) has said.
He emphasised that the judicious use of the funds will yield far-reaching results in the fight against terrorism and insurgency amongst other issues within the security sector.
Speaker Abbas disclosed while giving his remarks at the opening of the international roundtable on “The Role of the Parliament in the Security Sector Governance and Reform in West Africa” organized by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Abuja on Thursday.
Represented by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Speaker Abbas who acknowledged that Nigeria has also witnessed some security challenges stressed that addressing the issues will require inputs from the legislature.
He said: “In Nigeria, as in many other countries across West Africa, we have witnessed significant challenges in our security landscape.
These challenges range from terrorism and insurgency to transnational organized crime, border security issues, and internal conflicts. Addressing these complex security threats requires a comprehensive approach that involves not only the executive branch but also the active arm of participation and oversight by the legislative government.
“There is no doubt that the parliament plays a crucial role in security sector governance through its legislative functions.
It is responsible for enacting laws that define the mandate and operations of security agencies, as well as laws that protect human rights and ensure accountability within the security sector.
Additionally, parliamentary committees dedicated to defence and security issues provide a platform for in-depth scrutiny of security policies and practices.
“For us in the 10th House of Representatives, The People’s House, our Legislative Agenda seeks to improve accountability in the security sector, such that money budgeted for our security agencies are judiciously used for the purpose it is approved; enhance and improve counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency; encourage inter-agency collaboration and improved intelligence sharing; innovative police and other paramilitary reforms; and strengthen our internal security arrangement in the National Assembly. If we can achieve these, we will have contributed in no small measure to curbing insecurity”.
Speaker Abbas also called on the stakeholders to develop specialized training programs for parliamentarians on security-related matters to improve intelligence sharing between the Executive and Legislative arms of government.
“As we deliberate on these issues today, I urge all stakeholders present to consider practical strategies for enhancing parliamentary engagement in security sector governance.
This may involve developing specialized training programs for parliamentarians on security-related matters, establishing robust mechanisms for information sharing between security agencies and parliamentary committees, and fostering a culture of dialogue and cooperation between the executive and legislative branches on security policy formulation”, he said.
