From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has cautioned the Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru, over his statement that the Senate’s proposed two-day security summit is unnecessary.
He said such comments ought to have been conveyed to the leadership of the Senate and not aired in public.
Speaking in plenary when the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, raised concern over the statement, the presiding officer noted that his action could spark a conflict between the executive and legislative arms of government.
“I think the Senate will look into that issue. If defence minister has any issue with any resolution of the Senate, it shouldn’t do so in the market. He should get in touch with the Senate President or the Senate Leaders. He should get in touch with us, not to go and speak in the open. Thia kind of statement could amount to executive, legislative brouhaha. So we will pick that up at the appropriate time,” Akpabio said.
The Defence Minister had made his comments during a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, where he insisted that Nigeria’s armed forces are better equipped and more sophisticated than insurgents.
Badaru also questioned the value of the planned summit, arguing that while it may offer insights, it cannot replace the need for strategic thinking in addressing insecurity.
“On the summit, yes, strategy is far more important than summit. But summit will give you some inputs for the strategy. When you hold a summit, you have people, they talk. We take what they expect, and we go back to design or renew our strategy.
“Then, the Chief of Defence Staff gives operational orders, based on the strategy they developed. So what the National Assembly is trying to do, maybe, is to bring people together to discuss issues. You hear a lot.
“I visited most of the past defence ministers. I visited most of the past service chiefs to discuss issues of security during their time and what we see today. And I’m sure the service chiefs also do the same. So the summit can help, but the strategy is much more important,” he said.
Badaru further emphasised that the real challenge lies not in the military’s firepower but in the evolving tactics of terrorists, who often benefit from informants within local communities.”