House of Assembly threatens to halt legislative activities over worsening insecurity
House of Assembly threatens to halt legislative activities over worsening insecurity
Niger state house of assembly building
The Niger State House of Assembly has issued a stern warning that it may shut down legislative activities if the current security issues in the state are not promptly resolved, emphasising that the state is under siege from bandits and other terrorists.
The Assembly explicitly called for the immediate rescue of pupils and students from St. Mary’s Catholic Missionary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, warning that the security situation has become critically alarming.
This appeal follows a motion of Urgent Public Importance brought forward by the representative of the Agwara constituency, Hon. Mohammed Nura Agwara, who described the abduction of the students as tragic and unfortunate.
The assembly members unanimously condemned the incident that took place last Friday at St. Mary’s Catholic Missionary School, recognising that the situation is escalating beyond control.
The House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, presiding over the session, stated that the House would not hesitate to halt legislative business entirely until concrete steps are taken to improve security in the state.
“Let us not pretend about the current situation. The state is now in the eyes of the world due to security challenges, and investors are beginning to pull out, while contractors handling various road projects have deserted their sites.
“The current security situation has undermined all efforts by the current administration to transform the state. Immediate actions are essential; otherwise, we may be forced to shut down legislative operations since we represent the people,” Sarkindaji declared.
The Speaker also lamented that over 50 communities, including his own political ward, have been displaced from their ancestral homes and abandoned their farms within his Mariga Constituency.
“Farmers who used to harvest hundreds of bags of grain are now begging for food. We can no longer stay silent as representatives of the people.
“It is time to set aside our differences and confront these challenges head-on. If schools and markets can be shut down due to insecurity, then shutting down legislative business is also justified until the situation improves,” he maintained.
He called for the deployment of troops to key areas identified as bandit routes across the state, criticising the lack of action despite numerous appeals by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for security deployment.
“These dangerous routes, known to security forces, are the only pathways the bandits use for operations. Despite this knowledge, nothing has been done.
“I am confident the abducted students will be moved through these same routes, likely to Zamfara, as they have no other routes, but nothing has been done about it,” he added.
Following extensive discussions, the House adopted a four-point resolution: urging the federal government to mobilise all available resources for the immediate rescue of the abducted students, calling for troop deployment to strategic locations and bandit routes, and pledging to coordinate with the national assembly members from the state to present the resolutions.
The members, however, warned that “if action is not taken within two weeks, the House will shut down all legislative activities,” it concluded.
