…as lawmakers probe alleged NGO funding
A member of the House of Representatives from Borno State,
Ahmadu Jaha (APC, Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok) says Boko Haram insurgents
are occupying eight of the 10 local government areas in the
northern part of the state.
Jaha said this during the plenary session of the house yesterday
while contributing to a motion on the need for special funding for
security agencies.
The lawmaker alleged that the fight against the insurgency had
not been transparent.
“A number of geographical locations in Borno state and other
insurgency-related areas are under the occupation of Boko Haram,”
he said.
“Let us take for instance, in a local government that has 13
electoral wards like my own Gwoza, only three or four are not under
the occupation of Boko Haram.
“In Chibok, I have 10 electoral wards, only two are not under
the occupation of Boko Haram. In Damboa, I have 10 electoral wards,
only one is not under the occupation of Boko Haram. This is as far
as Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza federal constituency is concerned.
“The chief whip to the house can bear me witness, out of the 10
local governments in northern Borno, only two local governments and
it is only their headquarters, are still not under the occupation
of Boko Haram.”
The spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Sagir Musa, declined
comment yesterday when contacted.
He told our correspondent to contact the spokesman of the
Nigerian Army Theatre Command in Borno State, Colonel Ado Isa.
The House resolved to investigate activities of non-governmental
organizations operating in the country as well as reintroduce the
bill seeking for monitoring of NGOs.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national
importance sponsored by Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno)
titled “need for special intervention in the security situation in
Nigeria”.
Monguno, who is the chief whip, noted that Nigeria, in recent
times has witnessed an unprecedented level of insecurity, which has
made national security a major issue for the government.
The House also agreed to investigate activities of all NGOs
operating in the country, in line with the possibility of their
link to the terror group Boko Haram and if possible, reintroduce
the NGO regulatory bill, which was sponsored by late former deputy
House leader, Hon. Buba Jibril in the 8th Assembly.
Minority Leader Ndidi Elumelu said that “what we are discussing
now has been captured in section 83. So, we should not over flog
this matter. What we need to do is to inform the presidency that
the security agencies need to be properly funded. “I think that it
is high time we investigated the NGOs operating in Nigeria, and
they should be registered and we should know where they get their
funding. Also, we should resolve to visit our brothers in other
Parliaments; we complained to the executive”.
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila noted that “we will in due course,
have an executive session about the security meeting we had
yesterday. Last time, late Hon. Buba Jibril tried to sponsor the
NGO’s regulatory bill, there was a public outcry. But after the
revelation from the security chiefs yesterday, there is a need to
revisit that proposed legislation. We will also be meeting with
some of the NGOs because one rotten egg can spoil one basket of
eggs
“As you’re all aware, the leadership met with the security
chiefs for upward of five hours yesterday, this motion by Hon.
Monguno is a part of the fallout from that meeting. More will be
coming, and this motion is part of the ways to help them to do
their job”
Members of the house also called on the federal government to
create a Special Security Fund for security agencies to tackle
insurgency and other challenges.