Bamidele Heads Oversight Committee on Rivers

•Senate to hold 3-day national security summit

•House charges NSA, service chiefs on Benue, probes Giwa Barracks armory Fire, attacks

Adedayo Akinwale, Sunday Aborisade and Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has been nominated to head the committee to oversight the sole administrator in Rivers State, being one of the requisite constitutional demands in the event of a proclamation of a state of emergency.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, yesterday, made the announcement, when he constituted an 18-member committee to oversee the activities of the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.)

Akpabio reaffirmed Senate’s commitment to upholding democratic processes in the oil-rich state, just as the Senate, yesterday, resolved to organise a three-day National Security Summit in Abuja.

At the same time, the House of Representatives, has called on the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the service chiefs to ensure maximum deployment of security personnel to Otukpo local government Area of Benue State in view of the security crisis in the state.

In the same vein, the House has mandated its committee on army, defence and national security, to investigate the cause of the fire incident at Giwa Barracks armory and the escalating terrorists’ attacks, and report back to the it for immediate action to prevent future occurrences.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Ibas to administer the affairs of Rivers State after the declaration of emergency and suspension of the governor of the State, Siminalayi Fubara, for six months.

The House of Representatives had since set up its own committee during the Sallah and Easter break.

Akpabio made the announcement during plenary upon resumption yesterday from Easter and Eid Fitr celebrations, appointing the  Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, to chair the committee.

In his remarks, the Senate President explained that the committee was created to ensure transparency and accountability in the state’s governance.

He said the setting up of the panel was critical in ensuring effective legislative oversight in Rivers State, and charged the committee to commence its oversight duties without delay, insisting that their assignment was urgent.

Other members of the committee included Senators Adamu Aliero, Osita Izunaso, Osita Ngwu, Kaka Shehu, Aminu Abass, Tokunbo Abiru, Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Sani Musa.

 Also on the committee were Simon Lalong, Asuquo Ekpeyong, Adams Oshiomhole, Ireti Kingibe, Onyekachi Nwebonyi; Idiat Adebule, Ede Dafinone, and Mohammed Nakudu, alongside the Clerk of the Senate, Andrew Nwoba.

 Senate to Hold 3-Day Security Summit

The Senate, yesterday, resolved to organise a three-day National Security Summit in Abuja.

The summit will be attended by participants from all levels of government, traditional institutions, civil society, and the security sector.

This was as it urged the executive to review and update national security policies based on the recommendations from the Summit.

The red chamber said the summit would be convened by all senators in the 109 senatorial districts which they represent in order to create widespread awareness on the outcome of the event.

The summit idea was in response to the escalating wave of killings, kidnappings, and other violent crimes across the country.

This followed the adoption of a motion titled “Urgent Need for a National Security Summit,” sponsored by Sen Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South) and co-sponsored by Senators Titus Zam Tartenger (Benue North-West), Onyeka Peter Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North), and Osita Ngwu (Enugu West).

Speaking on the motion, the  lawmakers expressed concern over what they described as the pervasive and growing insecurity affecting all regions of the country.

They cited widespread banditry, random kidnappings, terrorism, and other forms of violent crimes that have placed communities under siege and undermined the work of security agencies.

Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, while seconding another motion moved by Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila on the killings of 16 innocent hunters in Uromi, Edo State, said the 16 law-abiding citizens were killed for no fault of theirs, but the fact that they were hunters.

Barau, who had visited the victims’ families in Kano South Senatorial District and donated N16 million to them, said, “When it happened, there was national outrage, cutting across all segments of this country.

“Everybody, from the South to the West, from the Muslim to the Christian, was worried that this could have happened in this era of national development.

“We took solace in the quick responses of the federal government, the state governments, and the Senate. What is important here is that we should make sure that those who committed that heinous act are identified and brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to those who might want to do that in the future,” he noted.

House Urges NSA, Service Chiefs to Deploy More Security Personnel to Benue State

The House of Representatives has called on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the service chiefs to ensure maximum deployment of security personnel to Otukpo local government Area of Benue State.

Moving the motion, at the plenary on Tuesday, Hon. Blessing Oni, said Otukpo has witnessed atrocious killings by armed herders, noting that the communities affected wereAsa 2, Akpa Otobi, Adoka, Okpomaju, and Amichi.

Oni stressed that the horrific act had left several persons dead, including a retired senior customs officer, and thousands are currently displaced living in IDP camps.

The lawmaker lamented that the people of Otukpo and its environs, who were largely farmers, could not access their farmland and grow crops, thus threatening food production and food sufficiency

The House, however, “Condemns in strong terms the gruesome killings and destruction of properties in Otukpo community

“Calls on the national security adviser and the service chiefs to ensure maximum deployment of security personnel to the troubled areas such as Asa 2, Akpa/Otobi, Okpomaju, Adoka/ugboju and Amichi to ensure complete restoration of peace and order.”

The House said the security agencies should also ensure that the perpetrators were arrested and brought to justice

It further called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to those affected by the attacks.

In a similar breath, the House has mandated its committee on army, defence and National security, to investigate the cause of the fire incident at Giwa Barracks armory and report back to the house for immediate action to prevent future occurrences.

The house also resolved to conduct a thorough review of security measures in military installations to prevent similar incidents, to strengthen security operations in Borno and Yobe States, to protect military personnel and civilians and provide support, compensation to families of soldiers affected by these incidents.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Ahmed Satomi on the recent fire incident at the armory at Giwa Barracks and the escalating attacks on military formations in Borno and Yobe States at plenary.

Satomi while noting the recent fire incident at the armory 127 battalion, Giwa Barracks, expressed deep concern about the escalating attacks on military formations in Borno and Yobe states.

He noted that the Boko Haram had escalated their attacks on several military formations within these two months and that several soldiers and civilians where killed in the recent attacks.

“The Barack was severally attacked by Boko Haram and the surrounding civilian settlement continues to be at risk”

“The recent surge in Boko Haram attacks on military formation is deeply alarming, and also bravery and sacrifice of our military personnel are being tested by these relentless assault,” he said.