Jibrin Seeks Overhauling of Nigeria’s Security Architecture

• Mulls establishment of N’west commission 

Francis Sardauna in Katsina 

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has called for a review of the nation’s internal security architecture to address the security challenges facing the country.

Jibrin, who made the call Friday evening in a pre-convocation lecture at the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina State, described the country’s security challenges as enormous but surmountable.

He said there was a need to pursue security sector reforms and drive investments in socio-economic opportunities for wretched communities, especially in the North-west region of the country.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Policy and Monitoring, Prof. Bashir Mohammed Fagge, Jibrin advocated innovative domestic and regional interventions to “dismantle the lethal web of intersecting threats facing the security of our nation”.

He also called for the immediate integration of tolerance, empathy, corporate dialogue, human rights and citizenship duties in the nation’s educational curricula.

Jibrin said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said on Wednesday, while presenting the 2024 budget proposal to the joint session of the National Assembly, that defence and internal security are accorded top priority. 

“He also disclosed that the internal security architecture will be overhauled to enhance law enforcement capabilities to safeguard lives, property and investments across the country. We are on the same page with Mr. President to address the security challenges facing our country.”

The deputy Senate president, however, said he had sponsored a bill for the establishment of the North West Development Commission in September this year for development and growth of the region.

He said the commission, when established, would accelerate the development of the commercial and industrial potentials of the region which comprises Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara States.

He stressed that the commission would formulate policies and guidelines for the development of the North-west in the areas of roads, education, health, employment generation, industrialisation, agriculture, housing, electricity and commerce. 

“The strategic importance of the North-west geopolitical zone in the scheme of our development as a nation will certainly propel my colleagues in the Senate to collectively and wholeheartedly support the bill when it is listed for the second reading soon,” he added.

He explained that the National Assembly would continue to fix gaps in the Nigerian legal framework to tackle the challenges facing security and other sectors for rapid socio-economic development to thrive.