National Assembly Under Invasion, Senate President Cries Out
Wed Feb 19, 2020 07:36:am National
1K By Afam Jude Offor
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday, raised security alarm that the National Assembly is under invasion by “many unknown and uninvited people”. Lawan raised the alarm at an emergency meeting the leadership of the Senate had with top security officials in Abuja.
The Senate President said he had received report of security threat to the Assembly and tasked top security officials to beef up security measures at the complex to avert any threat. He warned that any security official found wanting in the line of duty would not be spared. Lawan, in a statement by his media aide, Ola Awoniyi, said, “Any Security person who is given the job to ensure compliance and he’s found involved, we will not hesitate to get that person prosecuted for any wrongdoing. Because it is not enough for somebody to do a terrible thing and what you do is transfer him so that he can go and continue somewhere. “We believe now we have to work together if it means the agencies talking to their people who are supposed to work here, they should do so because truly, we are under invasion. Anytime you come to the National Assembly, it’s full like market with all manners of people.” He said with the escalating insecurity in the country, the time has come for the National Assembly to be properly secured for the lawmakers to carry out their legislative and other functions, under a very safe atmosphere. “And of course, our workers, our visitors. What that means is that, if someone has no business here, that person shouldn’t be in the National Assembly,” Lawan added.
The Senate President however explained that people with genuine reasons would be allowed into the National Assembly complex. “Let me say clearly that what we are trying to do is not to prevent people who have lawful reasons to be here. “When you are coming for protests, you are free to do so. Our people know where they do their protests and we normally go out to address them because we sit here on behalf of the people of Nigeria. “It is legitimate, it is lawful, it is legal for people to come and show either their support for something or their objection to something that has to do with the National Assembly. We have maintained this for as far as I can remember in this National Assembly and we are going to continue to receive Nigerians who feel strongly about any issue. “We are also at home with anyone who is attending public hearing….Nobody who has a reason to come should be stopped. We will still have visitors,” Lawan said.
The Senate President said he had received report of security threat to the Assembly and tasked top security officials to beef up security measures at the complex to avert any threat. He warned that any security official found wanting in the line of duty would not be spared. Lawan, in a statement by his media aide, Ola Awoniyi, said, “Any Security person who is given the job to ensure compliance and he’s found involved, we will not hesitate to get that person prosecuted for any wrongdoing. Because it is not enough for somebody to do a terrible thing and what you do is transfer him so that he can go and continue somewhere. “We believe now we have to work together if it means the agencies talking to their people who are supposed to work here, they should do so because truly, we are under invasion. Anytime you come to the National Assembly, it’s full like market with all manners of people.” He said with the escalating insecurity in the country, the time has come for the National Assembly to be properly secured for the lawmakers to carry out their legislative and other functions, under a very safe atmosphere. “And of course, our workers, our visitors. What that means is that, if someone has no business here, that person shouldn’t be in the National Assembly,” Lawan added.
The Senate President however explained that people with genuine reasons would be allowed into the National Assembly complex. “Let me say clearly that what we are trying to do is not to prevent people who have lawful reasons to be here. “When you are coming for protests, you are free to do so. Our people know where they do their protests and we normally go out to address them because we sit here on behalf of the people of Nigeria. “It is legitimate, it is lawful, it is legal for people to come and show either their support for something or their objection to something that has to do with the National Assembly. We have maintained this for as far as I can remember in this National Assembly and we are going to continue to receive Nigerians who feel strongly about any issue. “We are also at home with anyone who is attending public hearing….Nobody who has a reason to come should be stopped. We will still have visitors,” Lawan said.
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