The Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has called on members of the House to work together in tackling the insecurity in the country, adding that it is the primary duty of government to protect the lives and property of all citizens and promote their well-being.

The Honourable Speaker said this in his remarks to welcome the members of the House from their 2020 Christmas and New Year holidays on Wednesday plenary.

Gbajabiamila disclosed that the killing, kidnapping of citizens amongst social vices in the country signalled the failure of the House  in their obligations to protect the citizens.

 He, therefore, pleaded all hands to be on deck in solving the security challenges in the country.

“The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“With these words, the constitution obligates all of us who swear to serve in government to do everything to protect the lives and property of all citizens and promote their well-being above all else.

“This obligation is central to the governing contract between the government and the citizenry. Every time a citizen going about their business is killed or kidnapped, loses their property or livelihood, we have failed in our obligation. From the abundance of these failures has emerged a culture of self-help in matters of internal security that portends grave danger for our nation’s continued existence.

“If ever there was a time for us to put aside all other considerations, especially the petty concerns of partisanship and politics, it is now. If ever there was a time to set aside our differences of tribe and religion to focus on a concerted effort to defeat the challenges of insurgency and banditry, communal violence, and the violent struggle over land, that time is now.

 “The forces that threaten our lives and property, our sovereignty and nationhood, do not make any exceptions based on the God we pray to or the language of our native tongue. From every region and state, citizens of every tribe and religion have suffered and will continue to suffer the pain of death and the grief of loss until we put an end once and for all to the terrors of banditry, insurgency and malignant crime in all forms.

 “Here in the National Assembly, we do not command any armies or control the police. Command and control of our nation’s security infrastructure is an exclusively executive responsibility. Yet it is to us that our constituents look to when the forces of darkness descend to disrupt their lives, often irreparably. We have to reconcile the obligations we owe to our people with the constitutional limitations under which we operate. But we will not shrink from our role as advocates for the forgotten voices, and we will continue to exercise the appropriation and oversight authority vested in us to hold to account those who bear direct responsibility for the protection of all our nation’s people”, he stated.

 Gbajabiamila  further revealed that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement And Administration Act to reflect the current realities.

He added that the Police Service Commission Reforms Bill will also be completely processed by the House.

“Honourable colleagues, the true test of government is in our ability to protect the most vulnerable amongst us.

“We cannot separate the goal of economic prosperity from the ambition to ensure that all our people live in a just society free from abuse of power and protected by a justice system built on fairness and the rule of law.

“Therefore, we will shortly begin considering Bills to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. We will follow up with a long-overdue review of the Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement And Administration Act and other legislation that seek to deliver a justice system that works for all,” affirmed.