Senate has recommended that low interest loans be granted to herdsmen for the establishment of ranches across the country.
This, it said, will stop the killings perpetuated by armed herdsmen.
It urged the Federal Government to set aside an unspecified amount of money to be given at low interest rate to herders to enable them establish ranches in different parts of the country.
The recommendation came following the adoption of a suggestion made by Atai Aidoko. The recommendation is part of the 19-point measures adopted by the upper chamber as tools for addressing insecurity in Nigeria.
The recommendations are expected to be submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari by the leadership of the Senate.
The recommendations are fallout of the adoption of a report of a summit organised by the Senate in February. The summit reviewed the current security infrastructure in Nigeria.
According to the chairman of the Ad hoc committee, Ahmad Lawan, the leadership of all security agencies in the country, as well Ministers in charge of Defence and Interior were consulted while carrying out the assignment.
Lawan, who read the report on the floor of the Senate, revealed that regional leaders, farmers and Fulani herdsmen, were also consulted during the assignment.
Lawan’s committee identified absence of governance and ungoverned space, inadequate intelligence information sharing mechanisms among security agencies, inadequate resourcing of security agencies, poor administration of criminal justice system, and porous borders and poor border control as major causes of collapse of he nation’s security infrastructure.
The committee also revealed that based on interaction with heads of security agencies, poverty, climate change and its effects, and cultural and social impediments, are also responsible for the current security challenges in the country.
After a three-hour debate, the Senate adopted 19 recommendations noting, “The nation’s basic security infrastructure needs to be comprehensively reviewed and strengthened. The Nigerian political structure should be a major factor in this review, as well as the nature of the challenges the nation faces.”
According to the report, “There is the need to isolate current security challenges from political partisanship, narrow political interests and ethno-religious sentiments. Political office holders and all sources of influence should restrain tendencies to further complicate and worsen the nation’s current challenges.”
The Senate also believed that “The basic structure in the management of national security should be revisited by the
Presidency to address weaknesses in coordination, collaboration and synergy.”
It further observed, “All the nation’s security assets are dangerously stretched by current security challenges. There is the need to increase the size of the Nigeria Police, the military and other para-military agencies.
“Collaboration between Federal Security and law and order agencies and sub-national outfits needs to be re-examined in the context of demands for improved security, and the imperatives of, reducing exposure of citizens to extra-legal influences.”
It recommended that “Technology should be built into the core of national security architecture and management, and an informed investment strategy into relevant technology in areas of intelligence and data collection should be adopted and implemented without delay.
Others recommendations are, “The nation’s dependence on import of basic security requirements should be reduced. Our research and development capacities should be developed to meet most of the basic needs of national security.”
Also, the Senate said, “The judiciary must operate on the basis of the highest standards of justice. Perception of weakness and corruption in the judiciary erode its legitimacy and loyalty of citizen as well as confidence of the Nigerian state to do justice to all citizens and interests.”
The upper chamber recommended, “The nation should examine options to the use of force alone as responses to threats to national security. Strategies which improve chances of resolution of conflicts without recourse to force should be utilised.
“An informed strategy to limit sources and availability of firearms and light weapons among the population should be worked out and implemented without delay.”
It said, “Nigeria should assert its rights to improve its protection among its neighbors particularly in the areas of control of movement of weapons, drugs, terrorists, transhumance and iri the areas of economic sabotage.
“All international commitments which impact on the nation’s security and economy should be critically re-examined, and where national interests demand, appropriate steps should be taken to limit their negative impact”.
