Insecurity: NILDS to assist NASS on legislative interventions
By The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has stated its readiness to provide the need technical assistance to the National Assembly to make quality laws and other legislative interventions aimed at tackling the worsening insecurity across the country.
Director General of NILDS, Abubakar Sulaiman stated this on Wednesday at a webinar with the theme: “Security Challenges in Nigeria: Setting the Agenda for Legislation”.
Sulaiman said the meeting was in the exercise of NILDS’ mandate to provide assistance to the legislature in the formulation of informed policies, through engaging and sensitising the public on pertinent national concerns, with the aim of supporting policymakers to make evidence-based policy decisions.
He emphasized that Nigeria most provide solution to the security challenges in the country, especially the perennial clashes between herdmen and farmers which has over the years led to the lost of millions of lives and property.
“Our theme for this webinar on ‘Security Challenges in Nigeria: Setting the Agenda for Legislation’ is one that is coming at the most auspicious time in the history of our dear country.
“Today’s conversation takes place in the context of an increasing rate of insecurity around the country, which has proven to have several complex dimensions. It is on record that kidnappings and abductions of school children by armed bandits has recently become the order of the day.
“Thousands of lives and properties have also been lost to the nefarious activities of Boko haram terrorists, and violent clashes between Fulani pastoralists and farming communities. Added to these, the country continues to experience intermittent episodes of communal clashes that threaten the peaceful coexistence of citizens.
“With the realities above, Nigeria finds itself at a security crossroads with multiple effects. These range from the current state of affairs having an impact for food security in the country, to implications for the educational outcomes for our children. Further still, the levels of distrust that stems from the crisis has real repercussions for national stability and social cohesion in the country, which in turn reflects on Nigeria’s hope for sustained national development.
“While the government has attempted to address the situation at various times, relevant stakeholders, and the Nigerian populace, continue to raise salient questions about the approaches adopted, particularly because there seems not to be an end in sight to the crisis.
“For example, and while President Muhammadu Buhari may be commended for heeding the calls to replace the previous security chiefs, questions abound on what novel strategies their replacements will put forward to tackle the underlying security problems.
“It is in light of this that NILDS brings together a carefully selected panel of security experts, government officials, policymakers, and the Nigerian public to dialogue on the issues and controversies that bedevil security in the country, and proffer more effective ways to address these”, Sulaiman added.