The Nigeria National Security Advisor has called for more legislative support in the effort to end insecurity in Nigeria.
Major General Babagana Mungonu (Rtd), made the call at the budget proposal and defense with the House Committee on Intelligence, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
He said that insecurity was not peculiar to Nigeria but a global challenge and Nigeria can overcome it by collaborative efforts.
He however appealed to the lawmakers to help the intelligence community to assist the people through legislative drive.
“We hinge all our hopes, all our aspirations on whatever actions you’ll take in solving the myriads of problems that confront us and I want to assure you that the problems are quiet enormous. The successes we have been recording so far in overcoming the security challenges especially in the four five months are basically rooted in the efforts of the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, having been able to provide timely intelligence to the operational elements”. Mungonu said.
The NSA urged the lawmakers to set aside any other competing considerations that exist and focus on intelligence.
He noted that everything revolves around intelligence and that Nigeria is dealing with a broad spectrum of intelligence which if not supported in the right way, the problems cannot be overcome.
He pointed out that the current administration led by President Buhari, intends to leave behind a safe country come 2023.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has the desire to handover to whoever is going to take inherit what he is working on right now, a safe Nigeria” Mungonu said.
Secured Nigeria
The Chairman of the House Committee on Intelligence, Hon. Shaaban Sharada called for more efforts to secure Nigeria during and after the 2023 elections.
He said that the total budget of the intelligence community was slightly reduced.
“This is as a result of economic challenges primarily caused by global economic instability by the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee has appealed to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to consider the removal of agencies under the Intelligence community from the envelope budgeting system to strengthen their operational capacity which could only be guaranteed through adequate funding”. Hon. Ibrahim said.
He also commended the intelligence community for successes recorded in recent time.
Olusola Akintonde
