The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has directed the Leader of the House, Hassan Ado Doguwa to bring a bill that will amend the 1999 Constitution to recognize Amotekun and other similar security outfits in the country.
The Speaker stated this in his welcome address, yesterday.
In his speech, Gbajabiamila said that the emergence of Amotekun and similar security outfits was as a result of the manifestation gaps in the security architecture in the country.
The Amotekun security outfit launched by the governors of the six South-West states has caused controversy, especially between the Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the governors of the South-West states over the legality of the group.
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has also intervened, calling for the warring parties to reach a compromise on the impasse.
The intervention of Mr. Tinubu culminated into the meeting brokered by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo between the governors and the Federal Government.
Gbajabiamila, who is the Godson of Tinubu has now given the marching order for the House to commence constitutional amendment to give Amotekun the legal backing.
“Recently, the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and Ondo states took action to implement a regional security network to support the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in preventing crime and protecting the lives and property of those our citizens who live, work and travel through these states.
“The establishment of Àmòtékùn, as the network is called, has met with commentary from across the country, both for and against. Too often, it has seemed to me that lost in these interactions is the hard, brutal and unavoidable fact that Àmòtékùn and other such state or zonal interventions that already quietly exist in other parts of the country are a desperate response to the vile manifestations of insecurity that trouble the lives of citizens, depriving them of the peace and security that gives life meaning.
“I do not know that Àmòtékùn or whatever iterations of it may follow represents the ultimate or perfect solution to the problem of insecurity in our country. Nobody does that. What I do know with absolute clarity and certainty is that the localised manifestations of insecurity across the different parts of our country call for unique and localised approaches that take those peculiarities into account.
“What I also know, is that whichever approach we seek, we are obligated to work within the limits imposed by the constitution to which we all swear allegiance. Above all else, I am certain in the knowledge that doing nothing is not an option. We have a responsibility as legislators to support the best efforts of those who act with noble intent to protect our citizens.
“I, therefore, call on the Leader of the House of Representatives and the Minority Leader to take active steps to bring to the floor, appropriate amendments to the Constitution that will ensure that these and other righteous interventions to protect the lives and property of our citizens are firmly in compliance with the laws of the land,” he said.
The Speaker also expressed grief over the death of Mr. Lawan Andimi, a senior member of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Adamawa State and Ropvil Dalep Daciya, a student from Plateau State who were both murdered by suspected Boko Haram operatives.
“All people of conscience mourn the loss of a reverend and a senior member of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Adamawa State, Mr Lawan Andimi, a good and honourable man, who through the church and in his personal capacity served the people of his community earning their reverence and our collective gratitude.
“In the midst of our mourning, our hearts were broken once more by the release of a video depicting the gruesome assassination of Mr Ropvil Dalep Daciya, a student from Plateau State who was abducted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on his way back to school at the University of Maiduguri,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, yesterday, said that the governors and stakeholders of the zone have concluded arrangements to kick-start regional security out fit in the South-East zone.
Umahi made this known while addressing the General Officer Commanding 82 Army Division Enugu, GOC, Lasisi Adegboye, during in a familiarization courtesy visit that took place at the Government House, Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.
According to him, “One of our major challenges here in Ebonyi State is our problem with Cross River people, but we bless God so highly for the initiatives of the youths. The Deputy Governor and the Speaker of the State Assembly have to arrange so that they joint youth committee on Cross River and Ebonyi people will go and pay a courtesy call on the GOC.
“Probably, who knows if you are the one that will make both states to sign lasting agreement for lasting peace. Here in Ebonyi, I thank the police, the army, the SSS. It has been a union of brotherhood and working together with our Neighbourhood Watch.
“Every region has their own peculiarities and we had formed our own joint security task force, and we have written to Federal Government, and we are putting things together because we had a joint meeting with all the service chiefs and the then GOC. So, we discussed and agreed on what we need to do to continue to give safety to our people in South-East.
“No one will say that he will not be part of joint security because when people are kidnapped for example in Anambra State, they could be found in Ebonyi. So, we need that synergy to work together to give protection to everybody and here in Ebonyi, we are among the first in the federation to start our law on internal security and that is the Neighbourhood Watch and they have fantastically done very well.
“I am happy that the police, the Army, the SSS, they are not ashamed to proclaim that our Neighbourhood Security Watch have done very well. And so, we can say that we are the safest state in the country and there is no joke about that,” he stated.
Earlier in a remark, the GOC Adegboye vowed to provide adequate security to the citizens of the South-East, adding that there would be no more records of kidnapping and armed robbery cases in the zone.
“We are ready to work round the clock to ensure adequate peace and security in the South-East zone,” he noted.