Fred Itua, Abuja
The Senate yesterday deferred for two weeks, the proposed national security summit scheduled to take place between Wednesday and Thursday next week.
On Wednesday, the Senate after a debate on issues related to the security developments in the country, resolved to hold the security summit in Abuja with various stakeholders, to fashion out lasting solutions to the deteriorating security situation in the nation. The decision of the upper legislative chamber was prompted by the recent killings in Benue, Adamawa, Taraba and Kaduna states, with a view to brainstorming and coming up with workable solutions to the worrisome problem. But realising that the date was fixed in a hurry, the Chamber decided to postpone the event.
This followed a point of order brought to the floor by the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, who appealed to his colleagues to suspend relevant sections of the Chamber’s standing rules and rescind their earlier resolution on the mater, and then allow for extension of time.
He said: “The Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of Security Infrastructure in Nigeria met and considered that the time between now and next week is too short for this Senate to organise a very good and solid national summit.
“This committee needs more time, so that we organise a summit that is worth its name and get the proper outcome.”
“Our committee therefore, is asking that we rescind our earlier resolution of holding the summit on Wednesday and Thursday next week and extend it to two weeks, and the exact date within this period will be announced later when we would have arrived at the final arrangement for this time.
“I therefore, move that the Senate give us this opportunity to organise a summit that is worth its name.”
After presenting his argument on why the date should be shifted, and moving a motion to that effect, the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha, seconded the motion, and it was approved through a voice vote called by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.