Reps support bill on establishment of security services welfare commission

Members of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, expressed support for the proposed bill on the establishment of the Security Services Welfare Commission.

The private member bill was sponsored by the Chairman, House Committee on Army, Hon Abdulrazak Namdas, who underscored the need for the review of the state of welfare infrastructure including housing, utilities, transport, education of the security services and for related matters.

In his lead debate, Hon Namdas observed that: “one of the challenges of security service in Nigeria is among others, uncertainties in the provision of welfare services in relation to infrastructure.

“The existence of infrastructural welfare packages which enables possession of at least one house or shop in a block of flats or shopping malls are mostly available, where they exist, for senior officers under the platform of either Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA), Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) or any related arrangement.

“This development makes many security personnel vulnerable especially after retirement given its restricted nature which is favourable only to a small percentage of the security personnel across the country.

“In recognition of the non-existing institutional framework established by law to facilitate the provision of infrastructural welfare services for security, intelligence and enforcement personnel, a need has arisen to initiate the process to fill the gap restoring confidence and survival in comfort by Security personnel after service.”

According to him, the bill seeks to “facilitate the provision, management and equipment of infrastructural welfare services to Nigerian Security personnel; identify infrastructure gaps in every security units across the country; review the current status of welfare infrastructure in the security services.

“Collaborate with relevant agencies, private sector and development partners in developing, concessioning and maintaining the infrastructure of security personnel in the country.”

The proposed legislation further seeks to determine the minimum standard of welfare infrastructure to be used in every security service, method for the development of the welfare needs of every unit of the security services and supervise the execution of the development of security services welfare infrastructure.

Also at plenary, the House received a petition laid by Hon. Isiaka Ibrahim on behalf of a complainant against the Inspector General of Police, the Deputy Inspector General of Police and other top officers of the Police for shielding a culpable Officer in the gruesome murder of Ariyo Tosin Olamide by five Police Officers led by Inspector Adebayo of Anti-Kidnapping Department, State Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun State, who were on ‘Stop and Search’ operation.

While craving the House intervention to ensure the matter is resolved, the Petitioner alleged that: “At the time of the shooting, an upcoming vehicle driver who witnessed the shooting of Ariyo Tosin Olamide contacted the family and narrated how Ariyo Tosin Olamide was murdered by the 5 Police Officers of Anti-Kidnapping Team, State Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun State for failure to give them bribe.

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“In a twist of event, by the time the family got to State Headquarters Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Officers of Anti-Kidnapping Unit had changed the story. The five Police officers had filed a report that Ariyo Tosin Olamide was an armed robber who engaged the five Police Officers in a shootout.

“The story according to the Anti-Kidnapping Officer was that Ariyo Tosin Olamide was driving on a high speed along Papa-Lanto-Ilaro Road in a fully tinted vehicle and when he was flagged down he refused to stop and the occupants of his vehicle shot sporadically at the Police Officers but the shot missed the target, prompting the Police Officers to retaliate by shooting back at the occupants.

“According to the Police officers, when Ariyo Tosin Olamide was shot, he was hit on the neck but he continued driving and when the vehicle came to a stop, the two occupants at the back opened the car doors and ran away.

“The five Officers of Anti-Kidnapping Department thereafter planted a gun and ammunitions in the vehicle of Ariyo Tosin Olamide and tagged the innocent boy an Armed Robber. To start with, Ariyo Tosin Olamide’s Honda Accord car was not tinted. Again, the scene of the incident was very close to a Military checkpoint.

“One of the Military officers joined an eyewitness to search the car when they got there around 11 am and there were no arms and ammunition found in the car. But the Police claimed that they found the gun & ammunition in the car around 2 pm. Pictures showing the Military Officer and an eye witness while searching the car are hereby attached as Annexures A1, A01 and A02 respectively,” the petition read in part.

After laying the report, the petition was thereafter referred to the House Committee on Public Petitions for further legislative action.

Meanwhile, the House resolved to adjourn the Tuesday plenary following a power outage during the sitting.

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Reps support bill on establishment of security services welfare commission

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Reps support bill on establishment of security services welfare commission