Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have thrown their weight behind the Southern governors’ resolutions, and have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the resolutions in order to curtail the insecurity challenges facing Nigeria.
The lawmakers also commended the Southern Governors for speaking with one voice, adding that Buhari should at a matter of urgency address the nation on the issues raised by the governors.
They also charged the state Governors to start the restructuring of their individual states, adding that most of the governors were yet to grant autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary.
The lawmakers called on the National Assembly to begin a review of the unity of the country along with the principle of federalism, reiterated his call for State Police as the current policing structure had been overwhelmed.
These resolutions were made during the plenary session on Tuesday under matters of urgent public importance raised by the Deputy Majority Leader, Noheem Adams.
Adams, who analyzed the poor state of the nation, commended the efforts of the southern governors for rising up against the insecurity facing the nation.
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He added that the unity of the nation should be based on fairness, justice, equity, and peaceful co-existence, appealing to the Lawmakers to support the southern governors on their resolutions.
The Deputy Majority leader stated that the Southern Governors had clearly stated that the minds of every southerner is on insecurity, appealing to President Buhari to listen to the governors and implement their resolutions.
While contributing, Kehinde Joseph (Alimosho 1) said that there was the need for devolution of powers in the federation so that the insecurity challenges could be addressed promptly, adding that the rate of killings in the country was alarming and increasing daily.
Joseph charged the National Assembly to introduce the bill would move security from exclusive list to concurrent list, adding that the provision of security should not be left in the hands of the federal government alone.
Also, Sentoji David (Badagry 2) said that security and welfare of the people were the priorities of the government, adding that the Nigeria 1999 Constitution was antithetical to the progress and unity of the country.
David said that restructuring of the country remains the lasting solution to the challenges facing the nation, lamenting that all federal appointments were given to a specific region of the country which was against the federal character principle enshrined in the constitution.
The Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade, in his comments said that the country could not continue in the way it was going, calling on the federal government to come out openly to address the nation as the President cannot be quiet on issues of national concerns.
Agunbiade urged the National Assembly to come up with a Bill to introduce State Police, adding that the current policing system has been overwhelmed with the insecurity challenges.
In his contributions, the Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Eshinlokun said that insecurity issue in the country was like a pandemic that needs quick attention, proposing that local government should be allowed to own a security outfit.
Eshinlokun called on the state governors to support the police with operational vehicles, arms, and ammunitions in the short term, adding that the reports of various national conferences held in the past should be sent to the National Assembly for reconstruction into Bills for laws.
The lawmakers, who took a turn to comment on the state of the nation corroborated their colleagues and supported the resolutions of the southern governors.
However, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said that it was the first time the southern governors would come together to speak with one voice on the insecurity, adding that some of the resolutions most especially State Police had been called for by the House for so long.
He commended the southern governors on their efforts, advising them to take a step further in the meeting with the President on their resolutions.
Obasa added that to address the insecurity, the first thing to do was to decentralize policing system in the country, adding that Restructuring of the country would put an end to the agitation for secession by different ethnic groups and individuals.
He, however, directed the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko to write the appropriate quarters on their resolutions.
