The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has warned lawmakers against politicising the country’s security challenges, urging them instead to address the issue with the seriousness it deserves.
Mr Akpabio gave the warning during the screening of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, a general, nominated as Nigeria’s new defence minister.
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A few minutes into the screening, some senators demanded that Mr Musa should not be questioned on security matters and should simply “take a bow and go”.
The demand threw the Senate into a rowdy session as some insisted that the nominee must be thoroughly examined.
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The situation angered Mr Akpabio, who stood up from his seat, a signal under Senate rules that all senators must sit. He then invoked Order 52 of the Senate Rule Book, directing the lawmakers to sit and maintain order.
He emphasised that Mr Musa must be properly scrutinised because lawmakers represent citizens who live under daily security threats.
“The man standing in front of us could be regarded as the current solution to the security in the country and we’re not here on our own. We’re here to represent our constituents and our constituents will like to hear from him whether his appointment will enable them to sleep well, whether their children will be safe in school. So, we’re not asking him questions because we don’t like him. We’re asking him questions our constituents would have loved to ask him at a time like this,” he said.
The senate president added that the nation’s security issues should not be reduced to politics, noting that Nigeria is still dealing with concerns raised by the U.S. President, Donald Trump, over alleged genocide against Christians in the country.
He stressed that senators should be asking Mr Musa how he intends to respond to such international concerns rather than shielding him from scrutiny.
“So, if we come here and we do politics of bow and go. This is not a period we should say bow and go. Even Donald Trump is on our neck. We have not yet asked him what his response would be to Donald Trump, the president of America. He’s just not anybody. He was the chief of defence staff and now a minister of defence of a country and you stand up to say he should take a bow and go with so many questions on the mouth of Nigerians. With over 200 Nigerian children in the bush, kidnapped and being tortured.
“His appointment is ranking all over Nigeria with happiness because Nigerians believe he has something to offer. Give the man an opportunity, to give Nigerians hope,” Mr Akpabio added.
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