The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has faulted the Defence Minister, Abubakar Badaru’s unfavourable disposition to a two-day national security summit being planned by the Senate.
Badaru was quoted in a media report as having flatly rejected the idea of the planned summit, saying it was unnecessary.
But Akapbio, during the Senate’s plenary session on Thursday, pushed back at the minister, warning that his comments could strain the existing cordial executive-legislature relationship.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele had, during the plenary session, shared the defence minister’s position on the planned summit, as reported in the media.
Piqued by Badaru’s reaction, Akpabio urged the minister to always approach the Senate for clarifications on any of its resolutions he might disagree with, instead of going to the “marketplace”.
“I think the Senate will look into that issue. If the defence minister has any issue with any resolution of the Senate, he shouldn’t do so in the market. He should get in touch with the Senate President or the Senate leaders. He should get in touch with us, not go and speak in the open. This will amount to an executive, legislative brouhaha. So we will pick that up at the appropriate time,” he said.
While speaking at a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Badaru had insisted that Nigeria’s armed forces are better equipped and more sophisticated than insurgents.
The minister canvassed a renewal of approach and strategy in combating insurgency, instead of holding a summit as planned by the Senate.
Badaru said the challenge being faced by troops was the unpredictability of the tactics being adopted by terrorists, and not the lack of firepower. He lamented the role of some community members who act as informants to the terrorists.
According to him, while the security summit being planned by the Senate could provide useful input, it cannot substitute for a well-thought-out military strategy.
“On the summit, yes, strategy is far more important than the summit. But the summit will give you some inputs for the strategy. When you hold a summit, you have people who talk. We take what they expect, and we go back to design or renew our strategy.
“Then, the Chief of Defence Staff gives operational orders based on the strategy they developed. So what the National Assembly is trying to do, maybe, is to bring people together to discuss issues. You hear a lot.
“I visited most of the past defence ministers. I visited most of the past service chiefs to discuss issues of security during their time and what we see today. And I am sure the service chiefs also do the same. So the summit can help, but the strategy is much more important,” he said.
The Senate had, through a resolution on Tuesday, announced a two-day security summit to be held in Abuja anytime soon.
