By Gloria Essien, Abuja
Chairman of the House Committee on Internal Security, Mr. Garba Ibrahim Muhammad, has emphasised the urgent need to enhance security measures within the National Assembly complex.
He made the call during the public hearing on “A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment and the Functions of Legislative Security Directorate in the National Assembly (HB 1632),” in Abuja.
The Bill is seeking to establish the Legislative Security Directorate in the national assembly.
He said that the bill aims to improve security management as well as safeguard lawmakers, staff, and visitors to the National Assembly.
The lawmaker said that the seat of Nigeria’s democracy has increasingly faced security challenges, including cases of car and motorcycle theft, vandalism, fake identity cards, and infiltration by unregistered visitors.
“Legislators are exposed to threats from constituents and others who gain easy access into their offices without any formal appointment,” Mr. Muhammad said.
He warned that if such threats and lapses were not urgently addressed, legislative operations could be disrupted, which would have grave implications for governance and democracy.
“It is obvious that with the ongoing security challenges, if proper measures are not taken, it will truncate the legislative activities in the National Assembly. If activities are thwarted, there will be no representation, no oversight, no annual budget, no plenary at all — and that will destabilize legislative procedure, democracy, and the stability of the system, and our nation at large,” he cautioned.
Mr. Garba emphasised that effective security management requires a holistic and coordinated approach, integrating multiple elements to secure the environment and ensure that legislative duties can be carried out effectively.
“That is why this Bill is very important,” he explained. “It seeks to address all the challenges as aforesaid and adopt world best practices of parliamentary security procedures and architecture.”
He also noted that while the National Assembly must remain accessible to the public to uphold democratic values, security must not be compromised.
“The need for effective security measures in the National Assembly cannot be overemphasised because Parliament has to remain accessible to the public.
“However, this Bill is committed to ensuring the best security architecture in the National Assembly — to protect legislators, staff, visitors, and property,” he said.
Mr. Garba also urged state Houses of Assembly across the federation to emulate the same initiative to ensure comprehensive legislative security nationwide.
He also called for the collective commitment to the passage of the bill, saying it would mark a major step toward securing Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“With these few points of mine, I wish us a peaceful and fruitful hearing that will ultimately bring a turnaround in the National Assembly’s security architecture,” he added.
Stakeholders at the hearing made contributions for and against the bill.
They agreed that there was no need to have another arms-bearing agency as the police and other security agencies are already doing so.