VIDEO: Nigerian senator ‘weeps’ over insecurity

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday deliberated on the worsening security situation across the nation.

Over 15 senators made their contributions to the motion during plenary.

Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi West) was moved to tears while contributing to the debate.

Here is a full transcript and the video of his contribution.

“Insecurity is a serious problem in Nigeria. There comes a time where we cannot but speak the truth irrespective of sentiments. A lot has been said this morning, Mr President and I want to thank you for giving us time to speak expressly on this issue.

“Like my sister was saying, there comes a time when talk will talk itself. There comes a time where truth will become like a torchlight in the midst of silence so you are forced to talk.

“Mr President, we need not run away from the fact that more than ever before in the history of our nation, this is the worst instability we are facing. In fact this is worse than the civil war.

“Mr. President, the solution is very simple. Today that there is alot of misgivings and misinterpretations of what is happening. While people that some people in government are supporting this move. Some people believe some people are sponsoring those who are distabilising our country.

“The answer is very simple. We cannot pretend that we are capable of confronting the situation in our hands.

“America has powerful as they are, when the pandemic came, it got to a time that China came to their rescue. We should not pretend. We need foreign support now.

“Let nobody deceive us. A lot of billions of naira have been voted for security services. Nothing is coming out of it. We wouldn’t wait until our nation get burned. Let us shout and call for foreign support.

“I am a full APC man and I have been supporting my party but the President should get to know that it has gotten to a point that we who are supporters and members of the APC, we can no longer keep quiet.

“The President must rise to the occasion. You cannot see the truth and be afraid to say because you think you will die?

“Mr President, the nation is on fire. The President must rise to the occasion. It costs us nothing to get foreign support to save this country unless we will be consumed.

“Everyone of us , we have a chapter of history. Whenever the history of this period is written, whatever is our position, we have a chapter.

“We cannot keep quiet any longer. It has gotten to a point that we cannot sleep with our two eyes closed. Our children are not free. The President must rise to the occasion.

“There is no nation that is so powerful that it doesn’t need the help of another nation. The situation is our security system has collapsed. It has failed and because it has failed, we need to look for foreign support.

“Forget the ego, forget the status among African nations. Today, we are facing serious problem. For our nation to survive this period, I am not in doubt that the security architecture we have today, cannot cope with what we are facing.

“Every part of this country is not safe– from North to South. Nobody is safe. Nobody can travel 50 kilometers in our nation. I feel like shedding tears for a country that we grew up where nobody harass you when you travel from Lagos to Maiduguri. Today, I cannot travel from here to Kaduna or Niger state where I was born.

“The President must know that this is a bad time for our nation. We must look for foreign support to save this nation. They are killing people in the East, West,North and South. We should shut down the National Assembly.

“Let’s shut down the National Assembly, if we cannot save this country, we stay in our homes. Our country is bleeding. People are in poverty. There’s no food. People are hungry. Insecurity is threatening us.

“We cannot pretend. It’s better we are not here than to waste time when people are dying. Everyday Nigerians are dying. We must rise to the occasion.”