Teddy Oscar, Abuja
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has described the recent involvement of the nation’s military in politics by political leadership as worrisome.
Tambuwal, who addressed the Green Chambers on the occasion of the commencement of the fourth and final session of the 7th Assembly on Wednesday, observed that the political leadership, in recent time, has resorted to using the military to clamp down on the media, ground aircraft and close airports, and forcibly restrict the freedoms of citizens.
He reminded public office holders that employing security reasons and security reports as justification for each and every governance infraction is not an acceptable practice in a democracy.
“Honorable colleagues, for much of the last fifteen years of democracy practice in the country, the Nigerian military has conducted itself most professionally by limiting itself to its constitutional role. Recent events whereby the political leadership appears to be
gradually pulling the military into partisan political roles are most worrisome.
“When the military becomes the preferred agency for clamping down on the media; for the grounding of aircraft and closure of airports; and for forcibly restricting the freedoms of citizens, including elected officials, through arrests, detention and false imprisonment then there is need for us to return to the drawing board of democratic governance.
“It is important for those of us holding public office in trust
for the people to be reminded that employing security reasons and security reports as justification for each and every governance infraction is not an acceptable practice in a democracy. On our part
as a legislature we would be betraying the hallowed doctrine of separation of powers and abdicating our constitutional duty of checks and balances, if we decide to look the other way when tyranny rears its ugly head in our nation,” Tambuwal said.
Tambuwal, who noted that the challenge of terrorism is real in the nation, called for the
establishment of a Counter Terrorism Special Forces Unit (CTSFU), as well as a National Counter Terrorism Centre for the Armed Forces in order to deal with Boko Haram insurgency.
He further called for mass recruitment of personnel, as well
as the redeployment of existing officers and men to the CTSFU so as to be trained by the special community that is presently helping Nigeria against terror.
“Honorable colleagues, reports reaching us from the North
East of Nigeria indicate that the wanton destruction of innocent lives and valuable property by the Boko Haram insurgents has not abated. And sadly, our Chibok girls are still in captivity.
“May I once again commend our Armed Forces and security agencies for their unwavering effort, determination and sacrifice in tackling this
unfortunate relentless assault on Nigeria’s peace and security. The fact remains, however, that we, as a people and a government, still need to do so much more to contain this menace and restore to our people the peace and peace of mind that have been so rudely snatched away from them.
“It is my view that now is the time to establish a Counter Terrorism Special Forces Unit, as well as a National Counter Terrorism Centre for the Armed Forces. This should be accompanied by mass recruitment of personnel, as well as the redeployment of existing officers and men to this special unit so that they can immediately benefit from the
professionalism and expertise being offered by the international
community by way of training.
“It will also be necessary to formally bring on board the Youth Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in the proposed Counter Terrorism special training program. When fully operational, this Special Forces Unit shall be maintained in a state of permanent readiness to respond
to terrorist incidents anywhere in Nigeria. These Special Forces will be exposed to continuous training to maintain their skill and readiness levels,” he said.
While commending his colleagues for a well done job so far, the speaker, however, reminded them they cannot afford to abuse the confidence so overwhelmingly reposed in us by our people.
“There remains yet a lot of ground for us to cover. Among the several bills at various stages of consideration, we already have a pact with Nigerians to conclude work on some critical bills, including,
but not limited to: the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB); Electoral Act
(Amendment) Bill and Constitution Review. I am satisfied with the progression of these bills, and I hereby restate our commitment to deliver on our promise to Nigerians on these vital bills,” he added.
