Senate summons minister over insecurity

 Victor Oluwasegun, Abuja

THE Senate on Wednesday summoned the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, over what it called the inability of the ministry to stop kidnappers from using mobile phones to negotiate ransom payment.

It asked Patami to appear before its committees on Legislative Compliance and Communications on the need to examine how the ministry can implement resolutions of the Upper Chamber to curb insecurity matters that are related to the mandate of the ministry.

The Senate resolution followed the consideration of a motion on the growing insecurity across the country sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South).

Rising under Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, Bwacha noted that “the rate of insecurity in Nigeria has not only increased astronomically but has reached a melting point”.

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He said the challenge had manifested in kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, assassination and other criminal activities in the land.

“The assassination of Nasarawa State All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman and other high profile cases are still fresh in our memories.

After a debate, the House mandated its committees on Tertiary Education and National Security and Intelligence to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Education, Buratai, IG Adamu and other relevant agencies of government to implement the resolutions and report to the House within three weeks.

Also, the House of Representatives yesterday urged the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Brig.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to urgently establish a battalion of the Army at the southern border of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State, to prevent further incursions of kidnappers, bandits and other criminals into the campus.

The senators supported the motion in their contributions to the motion.