From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives has said it will demand more accountability from the security agencies on the performance of their budgetary allocations in the 2024 fiscal year.
The speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, stated this roundtable at the opening of the international roundtable on “The Role of the Parliament in the Security Sector Governance and Reform in West Africa”, which organized by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung( KAS), on Thursday, in Abuja.
He noted that the judicious utilization of the funds appropriated for the security agencies, will yield far reaching results in the fight against terrorism and insurgency and security challenges in the country.
Abbas, according to a statement by Levinus Nwabughiogu, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, was represented by the latter at the event..
The speaker was quoted to have said “In Nigeria, as in many other countries across West Africa, we have witnessed significant challenges in our security landscape. These challenges range from terrorism and insurgency to transnational organized crime, border security issues, and internal conflicts.
” Addressing these complex security threats requires a comprehensive approach that involves not only the executive branch but also active arm of participation and oversight by the legislative government.
“There is no doubt that the parliament plays a crucial role in security sector governance through its legislative functions. It is responsible for enacting laws that define the mandate and operations of security agencies, as well as laws that protect human rights and ensure accountability within the security sector. Additionally, parliamentary committees dedicated to defense and security issues provide a platform for in – depth scrutiny of security policies and practices.
“For us in the 10th House of Representatives, The People’s House, our Legislative Agenda seeks to improve accountability in the security sector, such that money budgeted for our security agencies are judiciously used for the purpose it is approved; enhance and improve counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency; encourage inter-agency collaboration and improved intelligence sharing; innovative police and other para military reforms; and strengthen our own internal security arrangement in the National Assembly. If we are able to achieve these, we would have contributed in no small measure to curbing insecurity”.