NASS: Constitution amendment in the midst of insecurity

LAST week, the two chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives went through the rigours of voting on 33 bills seeking amendments to sections of the 1999 Constitution. Not a few are puzzled at the voting pattern churned out from the two chambers. For instance, the House of Representatives voted for local government autonomy on one hand and rejected the same by rejecting the conduct of council elections by INEC.

Emerging facts are however pointing to the fact that there could be more to the level of performance of the lawmakers than can easily glanced at by outsiders. As the public continued to dissect the actions and inactions of the lawmakers in the process so far, the Management of the National Assembly has been battling to unravel headaches that hamper optimal performance in the legislative complex.

Did the operating environment contribute to efficiency or otherwise of the lawmakers or did the environment contribute in any way to the outcome of voting exercise as seen in the Senate and the House last Wednesday and Thursday? Reports emanating from a strategic committee put in place by the Management of the National Assembly tend to affirm that indication.

Reports from the Assembly had indicated that NASS Management of headed by the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori had put in place a strategic committee which dissected

operations, optimisation and existential issues within the National Assembly complex.

Indications emerging from the committee’s report tended towards the fact that the operating environment of the legislature in Abuja was becoming diluted with so many unwanted factors, including invasion by

beggars, petty thieves and women of easy virtue.

Thus, the Management, worried by what was called communal insecurity within the complex the National Assembly complex has decided to take steps to sanitise the situation.

One of the critical issues recognized is the massive influx of members of the public to the National Assembly complex in recent times. It is taken that there are 469 lawmakers in the Senate and the house. With some 3,000 staff members and another 3,000 legislative aides, you can imagine the population flow. But the Management has also discovered that no fewer than 4,000 visitors throng the complex either invited or uninvited daily.

The catastrophe according to the strategic committee is the influx of unwanted characters, leading to car thefts and theft of almost a dozen car batteries daily. Add that to a colony of beggars that burst into

lawmakers offices at will or block their paths outside the chambers, what you see is the lawmaker and staff who operate perpetually on edge.

Worried by that growing danger, the report from the strategic committee alerts the management to the need to tackle the spate of insecurity around the National Assembly Complex by taking steps to restrict access to the lawmakers and the National Assembly complex.

The strategic committee constituted by Sani-Omolori concluded on the need to restrict access to stop the wave of stealing and theft around the complex in recent times.

For instance, the two press centres in the complex were said to have daily suffer the loss of at least three telephone sets, while offices of Senators and Honourable members suffer similar fates.

The memorandum put together by the strategic committee was said to also have indicated that the management no fewer than 4,000 visitors swarm the complex on a daily basis.

Despite flooding the car parks and all corners of the complex with different security operatives ranging from the Sergeant-At Arms, the Police, DSS operatives, Civil Defence and Road Safety officials, the

complex suffers at least one car theft per day.

The memo read in part: “The management is also concerned that some of these visitors are mostly not on appointment with legislators or civil servants, rather, they come around to perpetuate crimes and criminalities even with the deployment of security personnel numbering over 500, thus posing a threat to the complex.”

As a result of the ugly developments, the memo asked the management to stamp out the excesses by first removing all sheds, shanties, containers and illegal structures within the complex.

The memo also resolved to issue fresh identity cards and vehicle permits to all cars authorised to enter the complex. The memo advised the management to retrieve the existing food canteen within the

complex and devote it to its original use.

The strategic committee also recommended that the NASS management should ensure restrictions on banks operating within the complex such that no bank offers services without sighting NASS Identity cards.

To preserve the complex and the lawmakers, the report indicated that the management must stop all beggars from gaining entry into the complex, while dressing codes in place should be enforced. This will

restrict women of easy virtue who constantly storm the complex after working hours, the report stated.

To get the security operatives attached to NASS operating at optimal level, the report advised that the management must undertake regular arms audit to ensure proper records of all armouries.

The memo read: “Operations of all business outfits within the National Assembly complex will be effectively regulated and moderated. Again, modalities for operation in the business village is underway and will soon be established. In addition, banks must sight NASS identity card before rendering of services to persons.

“Parking permits must be obtained and vividly displayed on all vehicles to be parked within the premises. Similarly, temporary parking permits must be obtained whenever a visitor intends to park within the complex.

“Vehicles to be parked within the complex for more than 24 hours must obtain a multi-day permit especially as it relates to staff and legislative aides…. With the rate of insecurity uncertainty, no stone

must be left unturned in ensuring a crime free environment.”

It is expected that when the highlighted measures are in place, the NASS Management would be able to save the baby, the bathwater and the bath by ensuring seamless operations in the legislative complex.