Chairman, House Committee on Navy, Honourable Yusuf Gagdi, in this interview by KEHINDE AKINTOLA, talks on inter-agency rivalry and other security challenges facing the country. Excerpts:
SOME Nigerians described as a bad omen, the kidnapping of 27 students and teachers in Niger State barely 12 hours before the screening of the new service chiefs in the National Assembly?
It is not about something that happened in the last 12 hours then or so; it is about the general insecurity problems in Nigeria, that is kidnapping. Inasmuch as I am not happy with what is happening, how are you sure are that people are not being killed today or just now as we are talking? It has become something like a medical prescription, the issue of insecurity in Nigeria. You take one tablet in the morning, two in the afternoon, three in the evening and that is why I said, give them the opportunity, the benefit of doubt to see whether they are going to perform to bring those things to bear and at the same time, ensure that they have corrected all the inadequacies within the security architecture. Nigerians clamoured for the change of the service chiefs. The National Assembly clamoured for the change of the service chiefs. They have changed them, what else is it expected of Nigerians and from the service Chiefs? One, it is by praying for them. We asked the president to change them based on the persist nature of security challenges. Definitely, these are things that happen on a daily basis: killing, kidnapping and what have you. And that is why we have a lot of things to do as representatives of the people. The blame should not be on the security agencies. Do they have the platform to contain some of these things? I think the Nigerian government, over the years, not this administration, ab initio had taken the issue of insecurity for granted. The issues that would have been addressed long before now had piled up. So in my view, the National Assembly has the responsibility of ensuring that yes, new people are on board, what do they require to equally fight the war against terrorism in Nigeria, the war against banditry, the war against kidnapping and what have you? They have their own requirements. You don’t expect us to continue to go analogue when the world has gone digital to fight the war against crime. Definitely, we need the infrastructure to be able to prosecute insecurity adequately in Nigeria. And, we will continue to scream and do our job as parliament, particularly with the vision of the speaker of the ninth House of Representatives of ensuring that the primary purpose of government as embedded in the constitution is to protect the lives and property of the citizens. The welfare and security of the people is a primary purpose of government and as parliament, we are empowered to make laws for peace, order and good governance. I am sure Mr. Speaker will continue to lead to ensure that the security of lives and property of Nigerians is guaranteed. I’m very sure he will support the service chiefs and the National Assembly, particularly House to succeed in the fight against crime and criminality in the country.
What can you say about the new Chief of Naval Staff?
Strategically, the economy of the nation is very important to the nation and without the security of the waterways, the economy will continue to depreciate. Crude oil production as a result of piracy, vandalisation of oil pipelines and so on will continue to depreciate. So, to be modest, the Navy is one of the critical part of the security architecture that should be considered. Let us make sure that all the necessary platforms are provided to them. Navy is equally engaged in various ongoing theatres in the country, even in Maiduguri, Borno State. For instance, it was the Navy that cleared the front; The Navy unit cleared before the Land Army struck. So, people think it is limited to water operations; many people don’t know that even in land operations and internal security, the Navy is involved; that only the Army and Air Force are involved. The Navy is equally contributing maximally to ensure insecurity is brought to barest minimum. So, the committee and indeed the National Assembly will give the Navy the necessary support for them to discharge their constitutional role.
But what are you doing to address the issue of internal wrangling among the security agencies with serious implications for the war on criminality in the country. I am talking about what some have described as unhealthy rivalry among the agencies?
The new service chiefs are friends from the military academy, except for the Chief of Naval Staff. Even in the service, both the Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Army Staff have been friends, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff. So, we don’t expect them to have issues. After all, in the war against crime and criminality no individual is going to win a medal for it. It going to be a collective thing and if they succeed, it’s going to be the entire security architecture of the country that succeeds. So, we don’t expect those personal differences to exist among the service chiefs.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
ANALYSIS: One Year After Index Case, Nigeria Yet To Meet COVID-19 Testing Target
One year after Nigeria recorded its first COVID-19 index case, the country has not been able to meet its testing target.
On February 27, 2020, Nigeria’s first index case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Lagos. This was the first reported case in Sub-Saharan Africa. An Italian, who had just returned from Milan, Italy on the 25th of February 2020, was confirmed by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Yaba, Lagos…
Inside Ibadan Bound Train From Lagos
The train started the 156.65 kilometres journey to Lagos at exactly 08:00hrs. The pace of its acceleration was minimal.
At about 25 minutes, the train slowed down at the uncompleted Omi-Adio terminal, a village on the Abeokuta/Ibadan expressway; it’s a stone throw from Apata in Ibadan. Conveyance of passengers from there and other terminals has not kickstarted as the terminals are still under construction and workers were found there.
Killer Herdsmen: Untold Story Of Ibarapa’s Worst Nightmare + VIDEOS
“Please do not talk to my father. He is yet to come to terms with the death of his son. It is a most tragic experience. How does one quantify the loss of a dear brother? My brother was killed like an animal by two herdsmen. His offence was that he asked them to drive their cows off his already cultivated farmland,” Bisi Olaosepin, whose brother was hacked to death, struggled to hold back his tears as he relayed to Sunday Tribune the horrible experience that culminated in the passage of his brother…
Rays of the afternoon sun pelted her head as she fanned the embers beneath the half-cut iron drum with the smoke permeating the air. “This smoke is unbearable, Iya Maria,” said one of the three neighbours conversing under a makeshift shed about five meters away. Their voices rose and fell intermittently…
Nigeria Is Stronger Together Than Being Apart ― Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has admonished that despite differences in religion, ethnicity, political affiliations, or other diversities, Nigerians of all generations and from all walks of life must endeavour to commit to ensuring Nigeria’s unity because the nation is stronger together than apart…