House of Assembly speakers decry worsening insecurity

• Say Community Policing Best Option

The Conference of Speakers of state legislatures of Nigeria has expressed worry over continued insecurity in the country. It urged the Federal Government to resort to true community policing to end the menace.

The Speakers, who are in Bauchi State for their general meeting and conference, hosted by their Chairman, Abubakar Suleiman, the Speaker of the Bauchi Assembly, made the call in a communiqué they issued after their meeting.

They said: “The Conference decries the spate of insecurity in the country and while commending the Federal Government on its efforts at fighting insecurity in the Country, the Conference calls on the Federal Government to tinker with the security architecture in the country to reflect the demographic reality of our country. In other words, the Conference advocates for Community Policing as a way out of the problems.”

They resolved to set up Constitutional Review Committee, whose terms of reference include articulating and submission of inputs of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

And that all the State Houses of Assembly should ensure passage of the Funds Management Bill in their respective State Houses of Assembly for effective implementation of the Financial Autonomy for the State Legislature and Judiciary.

The Conference expressed appreciation to Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed for his hospitality during their stay in the state. The speakers paid a visit to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu. The meeting was attended by 30 speakers.