The House of Representatives on Wednesday set up a 40-man ad hoc committee to brainstorm and come up with a blueprint on how to address the security challenge facing Nigeria, which will be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari within three weeks.
Speaker of the House Femi Gbajabiamila announced the committee, which comprises the 10 principal officers and 30 other members, at plenary after an executive session.
Gbajabiamila said the committee members would “sit down for the next two to three weeks and come up with a comprehensive proposal to stem the tide of insecurity in the country”.
Members of the committee who are non-principal officers include Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), Ahmadu Jaha (APC, Borno), Linda Ikpeazu (PDP, Anambra), James Faleke (APC, Lagos), Shehu Balarabe (APC, Kaduna), Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta), Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun), Hassan (Kano), Usman Danjuma (APC, Taraba), Sani Zangon-Daura (APC, Katsina) and Shettima Lawal.
Others are Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), Bamidele (APC, Osun), Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo), Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo), Jimi Benson (APC, Lagos), Mohammed Datti (APC, Kaduna), Enwo Igariwey (PDP, Ebonyi), Jerry Alagbaso (PDP, Imo), Uju Kingsley (APC, Imo), Joseph Bello (APC, Kogi), Obinna Chidoka (PDP, Anambra), Abubakar Naralaba (APC, Nasarawa), Victor Nwokolo (PDP, Delta), Pat Asadu (PDP, Enugu), Bello Kumo (APC, Gombe), Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi (APC, Zamfara), and Muntari Mohammed Dan Dutse (APC, Katsina).
Meanwhile, the House urged the Inspector-General of Police and other security operatives at the nation’s airports to beef up security to prevent breaches and to secure the release of the abducted people and fish out the bandits.
It also invited the Minister of Aviation to brief the Committee on Aviation on how the bandits gained entrance into the Kaduna airport and how to prevent future occurrences in the nation’s airports.
The Green Chamber, while adopting a motion sponsored by Musa Mohammed Pali, mandated the Committees on Aviation, Police and Interior to ensure compliance and report back within three weeks for further legislative action.
Moving the motion, Pali noted that on 6 March, 2021 bandits invaded the staff quarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at Kaduna airport and kidnapped about 11 people.
He expressed concern that if attacks and other security challenges are allowed in the nation’s airports, which are the safest means of transportation today and high forex earner for the economy, Nigeria’s air transport will be exposed to the security challenges facing the land transport.
