Inside Nigeria
NASS‘ll consider state police, says Doguwa
House of Representatives Majority Leader designate, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa has assured Nigerians that the Ninth National Assembly will work in tandem with the Executive to chart an enviable developmental trajectory for Nigeria in the next four years.
He spoke with journalists on Tuesdays saying that the ninth National Assembly would strive to do things differently from the past in order to aid national development.
He indicated that the house under the leadership of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila would aid reforms in the health, education and security sectors among other priorities.
Doguwa, who is representing Tudunwada/Doguwa federal constituency in the House of Representatives, spoke with journalists after a Thank-You visit to the APC National Working Committee where he was unveiled as the majority leader-designate.
Doguwa said: “On account of what to do differently, I want to assure you and Nigerians that there is little or nothing that we will not do differently in the ninth of House of Representatives. It will be different all through.
“We would be engaged very robustly without necessarily undermining the independence of a legislature which of course is paramount. We will be very friendly, of course, and we will sustain that institutional understanding between the legislature and the executive arm of government.
“We had a very embarrassing situation and circumstances last time but I want to believe, what we now have in the Ninth House of Representatives will be on different level unprecedentedly in terms of our engagement with the government especially in trying to support the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver on the promises of his campaigns and the policies and programmes of the APC.”
Doguwa expressed confidence in the leadership of Gbajabiamila, whom he said was long overdue as Speaker, to engage all principal officers and other colleagues in the house to deliver.
He added: “I want to tell Nigerians that they should expect good health, they should expect quality education, they should also expect a robust engagement in terms of providing reviewed security strategy in order to exhibit and establish the fundamental role of government which is protection of lives and security of properties of our own people.
“The House of Representatives and by extension the National Assembly, of course will certainly concentrate on reviewing some of our security apparatus, some of our security legislations.
“We wouldn’t mind to even to begin to contemplate by considering the issues of State and community policing because there is a serious challenge in that sector and with the promise of the administration of this Speaker House of Representatives and even by extension, the commitment of an experienced Senate President in the person of Senator Ahmed Lawan, we will look at this aspect of our existence to see to rebuild of the challenges we have insecurity.
“Community and state policing is one very critical sector over our economy that we have to look at and address so that we can provide absolute security for our people.”