“Yesterday at Senate plenary, I had the floor and I spoke on the need for us to have a robust discussion of the security situation this nation is facing and I suggested that the senate President and the leadership of the National Assembly should set up a robust executive session to highlight the various positions and resolutions and agreements that this Senate has taken even before some of us joined.
“My colleague raised a bipartisan and Nationalistic response that is very impressive and this is a good beginning for a new Nigeria.
“As you know, that I was going to draw attention to raise concerns about the developments about a week ago because that development also has a direct and immediate consequence for both our national security and also for regional stability and for the sustenance of democracy.
“Little did I know that my colleague was going to raise these fundamental issues. I want to commend you the leadership and all colleagues across party lines.
“I can see that we are not making the mistake that was made before 2015 general elections where everything about security was dumped on the ruling party and the government at the time.
“I am impressed that we are looking at issues dispassionately as we ought to and this should be a signpost of what is possible for Nigeria because right now there is also loss of faith in the Nigerian project, in the Nigerian dream and in the Nigerian vision.
“Is this the nation of Herbert Macaulay? Is this the nation of Azikiwe? Is this the nation of Balewa and Ahmadu Bello? Is this the nation of Awolowo and of Harold Dappa Biriye, my leader who led our people during the pre-independence conferences and so on?
”There is a general loss of faith and my dear colleagues this is why some of us including me have taken the position that all the security issues we are raising, all these issues that have bedeviled us, we should not just blame one party or one government, fundamentally it is also a product of the faulty constitutional structures of this country.
“We have forgotten that this is nation of proud African kingdoms, with an ancient proud civilization. Look at Karnem Borno thousands of years ago, look at Benin thousands of years ago. We have forgotten.
“The founding fathers of our nation knew this. They went for a constitutional arrangement that suited our peculiarities and we should not forget the wise counsel of Sir Ahmadu Bello, may God bless his soul when he told his contemporaries ‘Gentlemen, we are building a new Nigeria let us not forget our differences. Let’s remember our history and our circumstances yet craft a nation bearing that in mind’ but the military gentlemen came.
“Most of our leaders who knew our people lost their lives, the systems that were put in place were discarded, and today you have a government system that is federal only in name.
“My dear colleague, Senator Bashiru has been trying to make the point that our country is a federation. So, among the various decisions that we will take we need a return to the founding principles of our country.
“Now we have a situation where governors are only governors in name as far as security is concerned.
“I watched my brother, the governor of Niger State when he was lamenting that he has no control over security. It is not that the federal security system is deliberately refusing.
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“I do not think we should draw that conclusion. But what has become apparent is that they are structurally incompetent and incapable.
“How can one man sit down in an office in Abuja and police our diverse nation of over 200 million people!
“We are about to lose the Nigerian dream and we should not let that happen. We have told everybody including those who are pushing for secession that it is not the solution. The challenge is a challenge of leadership. Everyone must rise to the occasion.
“Mr. President who is leader of the nation should rise and take leadership, and do what he has to do including leading in the area of fundamental constitutional reforms. When he does this, this chamber working with our colleagues in the house of Reps, we can give this nation a new direction.
“Let me add that I am very impressed by the quality of minds that are in this chamber and I am privileged to also serve on your adhoc committee on constitutional amendment and in the meetings I have attended so far, I am pleased with the quality of members there.
“Patriotic Nigerians from across the length and breadth of this nation and I believe that guided by this fundamental idea of unity, equality of citizenship, justice and fairness to one and to all, a nation that works for all not a few, not for anyone but a nation that we can build that will stand out to the dreams and aspirations to the founding fathers as the largest African nation that can stand up and portray what is best for the black man that dream is now under threat.
“Beyond this, let us move to solutions and sit down with an open mind not as north and south but as Africans who have a duty to build on the foundations that our founding fathers laid for us.
Thank you.”
