By Paul Effiong, Abuja
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has emphasised the importance of stakeholders insights in shaping effective security policies.
Kalu made the call while delivering a welcome remark at the Constitution Review Legislative Dialogue on National Security Architecture with the theme, ‘Nigeria’s Peace and Security: The Constitutional Imperatives,’ yesterday in Abuja.
The event was convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review and co-hosted by key partners such as the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, Defence Headquarters, Department of State Services, DSS, among others.
The event was also attended by President Bola Tinubu who was represented by the minister of defense.
Kalu, who is the Chairman of the committee, said “Distinguished stakeholders, I wish to emphasize that today’s Constitution Review Legislative Dialogue is not just another meeting; it is, in essence, a legislative laboratory for Nigeria’s national security sector. The central aim of this engagement is to synthesize and collate, directly from you, the key actors in our national security architecture, your candid perspectives on the “sickness” in our constitution that impedes the effective delivery of your mandates.
“This dialogue is designed to be that diagnostic process. We are
here to listen to you, those who wear the shoes and know exactly where it pinches. Whether the issues are rooted in inter-agency harmonisation, command authority, intelligence coordination or
other critical aspects, your insights are indispensable. You, our security sector stakeholders, are best positioned to articulate the constitutional and operational bottlenecks that hinder your
effectiveness.”
The deputy speaker stated that the outcome of the dialogue will help legislators make an informed decision in the course of the review of the constitution.
Kalu explained that the overal objective of the dialogue is to advance the ongoing constitution review process, focus on security and policing reforms, facilitate inter-agency collaboration for a unified approach to national security, discuss and refine legislative proposals, particularly those on state policing and intelligence coordination, enhance border security strategies and promote regional stability and encourage robust public engagement and stakeholder input.
