From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has urged the Federal Government to take the surveillance and security of the country’s space seriously
Kalu canvassed the appointment of a Space Service Chief, or Chief of Space Staff, to head a Space Command Force, for proactive space security
The deputy speaker, who stated this at a 2-day post inuaguration retreat, organised for members of the House Committee on Defence by the National Defence College, Abuja, said this would boost the existing security architecture in the country.
He explained that it is time for the country to move from the usual and known mechanism for fighting insurgency, saying the battle should also be taken into the space, to achieve the unusual results.
According to him, “I have seen you also struggle to meet the challenges and the dynamic demands of security, all of which are issues that have gone around the space. In some countries, you have Space Service Chiefs, what are we doing about that? There is need for one to be created. We are beyond what is obvious.
“Some of the warfare is now taking place in the space. And I can assure you, we ignore that? We will not be doing justice to the mandate of protecting the territorial borders of this country. So, it is high time we started looking beyond what happens here, think about what happens up there, the space. ”
He stressed that, appointing Space Service Chief to head a Space Command is essential, as most warfares now are done in the Space or cyber operations. The deputy speaker added “that Nigeria must be prepared to structure “our preventive operations before we are hit . It calls for deeper conversations as the Parliament will be willing to support this initiative”.
Kalu, however, submitted that internal security of the country should be for the Nigeria Police and they should be allowed and supported to employ more hands, “to enable the military operate within their areas of competence and training which is not internal security”.
On his part, the Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajide Benson, lauded the quality Leadership presented by the Tajudeen Abbas-led 10th House. Benson assured that the Committee would work closely with the Defence sector, at achieving the legislative agenda of the Green Chamber, as well as combating insecurity in the country.