…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.
