The Senate on Thursday stepped down a bill to allow the National Security Adviser to recruit permanent staff for his office, subject to the approval of the President.
The sponsor of the bill and Senator representing Bauchi South, Senator Buba Umar Shehu, said in his presentation that the bill for an act to provide a legal framework for the NSA to appoint permanent staff for his office would “enhance institutional memory and effective performance of the responsibilities of the National Security Adviser”.
Senator representing Imo West, Osita Izunaso, while supporting the bill, argued that a situation where the ONSA was allowed to use casual staff was not good enough.
According to him, the bill is asking for the NSA to be allowed to appoint its own staff with the approval of the president.
Senator representing Delta South, Joel Onowakpo, also spoke in support of the bill, as he noted that the NSA’s office should not rely on contract staff for information gathering and intelligence for the country.
Former Bayelsa State Governor and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, however, opposed the bill, stating that “the current situation is that the NSA is the national security coordinator where officers from the various services are seconded”.
He recalled that in the NSA office, all the apparatus of our national security is represented, and cautioned that they should not, in the process of trying to strengthen the office “create another problem”.
He moved a motion that the bill be stepped down to create room for further consultations, adding that the NSA has the power to hire anyone for consultation.
Dickson’s motion was seconded by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who said the impression given that the workers in the ONSA were temporary was not true, adding that “they are personnel of the various services: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, DSS, etc”.
When the Senate President put it to a voice vote, those in support of the motion that the bill be stepped down overwhelmed those in support.
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