Panic as Alleged Terrorists' Plan For National Assembly Emerges
Garba Ibrahim Muhammad, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee on Internal Security, has alleged that some terrorists have threatened to bomb the National Assembly Complex. He added that the development underscored the urgent need to rejig the security around the highest legislative institution in the country.
The lawmaker made the disclosure while speaking at the public hearing of the Bill seeking to create the Legislative Security Directorate in Abuja on Tuesday, October 28. The bill sought to strengthen the security management around the National Assembly and protect lawmakers, staff and visitors.
Source: Twitter
He noted that over time, the national assembly has been confronted with security threats, including car and motorcycle theft, vandalism, fake identity cards, and the infiltration of unregistered visitors.
His statement reads in part:
“We have received threats from terrorists to bomb the National Assembly Complex and threats from protesters to lock up the National Assembly.”
He stressed that the lawmakers are being exposed to possible harms from constituents and other individuals who access their offices without any form of appointments.
Muhammad then warned that if the national assembly failed to address the tension, they could disrupt legislative activities, which would have grave consequences on governance and democracy.
He explained that once the legislative activities are truncated, there would be no representation, no annual budget, no oversight, and the plenary would be suspended. There would be no democracy, and the nation at large.
The lawmaker stressed that effective security management needed a coordinated approach, integrating multiple components to ensure that the environment is secured for legislative activities.
He added that the bill was very important as it addressed all the challenges and adopted the best practices in the world in the procedures and architecture of parliamentary security.
Muhammad emphasised that the security must not be compromised, even though it is important to keep the National Assembly open for the public to uphold the democratic process
The House of Reps member then called on the state Houses of Assembly in the country to keen into the idea and adopt the system for nationwide legislative security. He also urged the lawmakers to show collective commitment toward the passage of the bill.
Source: Legit.ng
