On Thursday, March 18, the House of Representatives set up a Special Committee on Security as part of efforts to arrest insecurity in Nigeria. The resolution to set up the ad hoc committee followed a closed-door session of the House on Wednesday, March 17. The Special Committee has been tasked to develop a proposal to address the security situation in Nigeria, which will be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari for implementation. The committee comprising all Principal Officers of the House and 30 other legislators, is expected to commence work immediately.
Related to the issue of security, is a bill seeking to grant the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, power to summon the President and Governors over national security and any matter the respective Assemblies have power to legislate on. The Constitution alteration bill, which scaled second reading in the House on Tuesday, March 16, seeks to amend sections 67 and 108 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. It will be recalled that there has been a public debate on the power of the National Assembly to summon the President over security issues, fuelled by a claim by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that the National Assembly has no such powers. Commentators have canvassed arguments drawing inferences from several provisions of law, that the National Assembly can summon the President, with others saying that the powers of the National Assembly in that regard are limited to ‘inviting’ the President.
Nigerians would like to see elected public officers held to account, particularly, the Executive, on the issue of security in the country.