About seven months ago on the page, I called-out the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila for daring to give credit to the current administration in the ongoing fight against terrorism and other forms of security challenges in the country.

Precisely on the 14th of September 2021, Gbajabimila was asked to state his sincere opinion about the security situation of the country during an interview on television the speaker had this to say, “We are coming from a hole, a very deep hole that if we had maintained the pace of how we were addressing insecurity at that time, I don’t know where we will be today as a nation.

Don’t forget that Boko Haram had begun to plant their flags in different local governments in this country, I don’t see it anywhere right now. How far deep in the whole were we and where are we now, I will say we have made good progress, but there is a lot more to be done and that can be done, I will not score full marks on our government in terms of where we are on security but I will say that we’ve moved the needle a little bit, we must be more aggressive.”

It was based on the above comment that I attacked Gbajabiamila’s views in an article titled “Mr Speaker, The Needle Did Not Move”. In the article, I opined that politics seemed to have taken over the better part of our reasoning in this country and that the gentleman speaker who by the virtue of his exposure, training as a lawyer, and experience as one of the longest-serving federal lawmakers In Nigeria, should stand out, also obeyed the norm.

Now, the chicken has come home to roost, the unusual occurred during the week as the House led by the same Gbajabimila came down hard on the executive arm of government, particularly the security service chiefs, over the near state of security collapse in the country. Surprisingly, some of the vocal voices in the House who had never criticised the current administration canvassed critical views that could throw Nigeria into anarchy if not well managed.

The House even took a drastic decision of abruptly adjourning plenary and suspended all legislative activities to register displeasure over the recent killings in Kaduna State.

It is safe to conclude that all Nigerians, the leaders and the led are now thinking alike, and the excuse of “we’ve moved the needle a little bit” is no longer tenable. Members of the House are questioning the huge funds budgeted to tackle insecurity with little or no result. Some of them even suggested that the allocation of funds to security agencies should be withheld until a proper account of funds disbursed over the years is made.

It is rather unfortunate but interesting that the House is now seeing the naked effects of collaborative corruption and being a rubber-stamp parliament. When the spending security agencies ought to be thoroughly scrutinised during budget performance evaluation and budget defences, chairmen of relevant committees would either ask them to take a bow or result in a closed-door session where contracts are negotiated.

Now that the House has lost confidence in its committees and the leadership of the House has tactically taken over the oversight functions of various committees in the security sector, the same security service chief law who had always had their way with the parliament is being blamed for disrespect the institution.

Do I need to remind the House that after being forced to receive reports of its ad-hoc committee that probed the quality and quantity of arms and ammunition purchased for security agencies in the country for the last 10 years, the report is still gathering dust under Gbajabimila’s carpet?

My surprise can better be imagined when last Wednesday, the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, expressed deep anger that the Service Chiefs did not turn up for a meeting to which they were invited by the House over incessant attacks in Kaduna particularly the recent one on the airport and railway that led to the loss of lives.

Comments by the leader of the House, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, who said Nigerians should be allowed to take up arms and defend themselves against gunmen attacks may sound very harsh, but in a frustrating situation the country found itself, Doguwa’s should not be considered insensitive.

“Mr Speaker, I rise to speak in the capacity of the majority leader who of course is the ambassador of government on this floor. Mr Speaker, when things like this continue on daily basis those of us who are representatives of the government become speechless. We become speechless here to defend actions by the govt. This is an elected government, under a popular democracy but day in, day out, there are killings, massacre, and armed robberies all over. Left, right and centre.

“We can not sit down here and fold our arms, see our electorates, people who were elected into our respected offices being killed by the day. I think if there is any other thing, I should add to this motion, Mr. speaker. With due respect to our institution’s existence that on account of this institutional failure and regimental failure on the part of our security agencies because you have just no cause to raise excuse for any of them.”

“With all sense of responsibility, with all sense of commitment, with the fact that yes, even after this world we shall all rise to answer our fathers’ name in the next world to account for actions. I think Nigerians should this moment be allowed to also take arms.

“Nigerians must be allowed to take up arms in defence of their innocent souls, defend their hard-earned resources and properties because it is like a monumental failure.”

My message to Speaker Femi Gbajabimila and the entire 9th House of Representatives is that it is not too late to do the right thing. It is not too late to hold the security agencies accountable for their spending and is not too late to avoid unnecessary politics in the face of the obvious collapse of the nation’s security architecture. History never forgets!

 

"Politics seemed to have taken over the better part of our reasoning in this country. It is rather unfortunate but interesting that the House is now seeing the naked effects of collaborative corruption and being a rubber-stamp parliament. Now the chicken has come home to roost......"