National Assembly: ‘Security architecture for review’

If the words of Mr. Rawlings Agada, the Director of Information
at the National Assembly, are anything to go by, the security
architecture of the National Assembly is imminent.

Agada told The Nation yesterday that “additional security
arrangements are very likely” with a preliminary review of
yesterday’s invasion of the Assembly by some hoodlums, who made
away with the mace.

The invasion left no fewer than five members of the National
Assembly’s security unit, including the sergeant-at-arms,
injured.

“Five of us sustained varying degrees of injury and were taken
to the clinic for treatment on Wednesday but the situation of
Sandra, the only female, was worrisome as she was seriously hit in
both eyes,” an injured security personnel told The Nation.

Although there are a number of policemen headed by a DPO at the
National Assembly police post, prevalent use of policemen ended
after the November 20, 2014 invasion of the National Assembly by
hooded men in black uniforms and anti-riot policemen, who locked
the five entry points into National Assembly.

On November 21, the then House of Representatives Speaker Aminu
Tambuwal and his colleagues were tear-gassed by policemen who
barricaded the main entrance.
Since then, the National Assembly adopted the global parliamentary
practice of putting sergeant-at-arms in charge of security, while
policemen only man the outer/main entrance into the complex.

Some changes, including the appointment of a retired military
general, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Sani Dawalis, as the chief
sergeant-at-arms were effected in the security arrangements since
the resumption of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani
Omonori.

Agada said: “Those designated to have equipment have them, while
the current paucity of funds may affect some allowances, the
National Assembly management has made capacity-building programmes
for security personnel high priority.

“What happened on Wednesday is a national challenge to our
security architecture and the lesson learnt will help to strengthen
new security arrangements in the National Assembly.

“We are still studying the situation on ground before issuing
any statement; the lives of our staff are involved and we feel
concerned,” Agada told The Nation.
Four years ago, in response to security threats to lawmakers, many
of them proposed that security officials under the sergeant-at-arms
be provided with the necessary weapons to perform their security
functions.

Senator Ita Enang, then a lawmaker, proposed that the National
Assembly should “ensure that every other security personnel within
the precinct of the National Assembly is subject to and under the
control of the sergeant-at-arms and that no person brings in arms
into the chambers or into the premises except it is authorized by
the sergeant-at-arms.”

Contributing to a debate on the matter, other senators supported
the idea of granting the sergeant-at-arms full autonomy over all
security issues within the assembly.
“They need to protect us; considering the situation of insurgency,
there is a need for the sergeant-at-arms to carry arms and protect
the National· Assembly”, Senator Kabiru Gaya said.

If the words of Mr. Rawlings Agada, the Director of Information
at the National Assembly, are anything to go by, the security
architecture of the National Assembly is imminent.

Agada told The Nation yesterday that “additional security
arrangements are very likely” with a preliminary review of
yesterday’s invasion of the Assembly by some hoodlums, who made
away with the mace.

The invasion left no fewer than five members of the National
Assembly’s security unit, including the sergeant-at-arms,
injured.

“Five of us sustained varying degrees of injury and were taken
to the clinic for treatment on Wednesday but the situation of
Sandra, the only female, was worrisome as she was seriously hit in
both eyes,” an injured security personnel told The Nation.

Although there are a number of policemen headed by a DPO at the
National Assembly police post, prevalent use of policemen ended
after the November 20, 2014 invasion of the National Assembly by
hooded men in black uniforms and anti-riot policemen, who locked
the five entry points into National Assembly.

On November 21, the then House of Representatives Speaker Aminu
Tambuwal and his colleagues were tear-gassed by policemen who
barricaded the main entrance.
Since then, the National Assembly adopted the global parliamentary
practice of putting sergeant-at-arms in charge of security, while
policemen only man the outer/main entrance into the complex.

Some changes, including the appointment of a retired military
general, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Sani Dawalis, as the chief
sergeant-at-arms were effected in the security arrangements since
the resumption of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani
Omonori.

Agada said: “Those designated to have equipment have them, while
the current paucity of funds may affect some allowances, the
National Assembly management has made capacity-building programmes
for security personnel high priority.

“What happened on Wednesday is a national challenge to our
security architecture and the lesson learnt will help to strengthen
new security arrangements in the National Assembly.

“We are still studying the situation on ground before issuing
any statement; the lives of our staff are involved and we feel
concerned,” Agada told The Nation.
Four years ago, in response to security threats to lawmakers, many
of them proposed that security officials under the sergeant-at-arms
be provided with the necessary weapons to perform their security
functions.

Senator Ita Enang, then a lawmaker, proposed that the National
Assembly should “ensure that every other security personnel within
the precinct of the National Assembly is subject to and under the
control of the sergeant-at-arms and that no person brings in arms
into the chambers or into the premises except it is authorized by
the sergeant-at-arms.”

Contributing to a debate on the matter, other senators supported
the idea of granting the sergeant-at-arms full autonomy over all
security issues within the assembly.
“They need to protect us; considering the situation of insurgency,
there is a need for the sergeant-at-arms to carry arms and protect
the National· Assembly”, Senator Kabiru Gaya said.