The Senate has been in the forefront in the debate on how to resolve issues emanating from the state of insecurity that has partially closed-down a number of cities in the North. The appointment of a new National Security Adviser in the person of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) is one of the pro-active measures that have been taken by President Goodluck Jonathan towards frontally confronting the problem.

But to what extent the appointment of Dasuki, a prince of the Sokoto caliphate and one time Aide-de-Camp to General Ibrahim Babangida can go in redressing the insecurity situation in the country is now an issue.  A number of senators spoke on the issue on the fringes of the recently concluded Senate retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Excerpts:

He should work hard —Senator Mohammed Magoro, Chairman Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, PDP, Kebbi South

My expectation is that he is going to work very hard, there are a lot of challenges facing the nation, to some extent internationally. He has been watching what has been going on, he has a lot of exposure in this kind of arena, he is also well educated in the field, so we look forward to him to bring a sort of fresh air so that we can move forward and get over this situation which this country has been facing for sometimes now.

Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.): New NSA (behind is bomb scene)

First of all as he settles down, he needs to be properly briefed since he is from outside, it will be a different thing when he comes inside and if properly briefed, he will make up his mind on the areas he wants to attend to first and foremost. Generally, I think Nigerians are tired of what has been going on, they want to see something physically new being introduced by let’s say these scanners we are talking about, introduction of road scanners, that is vehicle scanners; if we can have them instead of these long queues we have at road blocks, people will now yeh, we have something new.

And of course, when you go and come, you tell people, there is something there on the road scanning people that can even see their stomach and not only inside their cars, that will go a long, long way and if one has bad intention, you are now going to think twice, these are the kind of things we are looking forward to seeing being introduced.

I know it takes time because it requires money for you to be able to acquire such equipment, but we just have to do that whether we like it or not, we are in a situation we cannot say we don’t have money even if we have to borrow, we can also have to approach some countries that can assist us with these kind of equipment; there are so many options we can examine.’

Fresh ideas — Senator Domingo Obende, ACN, Edo North Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT

You know that he is a man of intelligence and very reserved, he is someone that is not loud so you won’t find him all over in all the occasions and I believe that having seen that the buck has been pushed to the north, I don’t want to be speculative.

Maybe we are also going to see the emergence of the Minister of Defence from the North so the buck has been pushed to them and we expect that they curb this menace called Boko Haram and not just that, we also expect that the security system in this nation becomes very perfect; we want to be able to walk on the streets and say that we are safe and we are sure that we can see our next morning.

In the absence of this, of course, security will have to be taken away from governance, but I know that the first thing government does is that they must be able to secure lives and property, the assignment is enormous.

I would want him to understand that the buck has been pushed to his table and the development of a nation can only happen if there is security.

Nigerians expect him to do a lot in the area of security and of course terrorism and kidnapping, these are all part of security challenges I do believe that we must have a template to confront these challenges.

Having done that, we also need to have another template. After curbing this major challenge, how do we equip the Police? How do we equip the internal affairs security people to make sure that every Nigerian has the right to move from one place to another because today, I am scared

I don’t blame Azazi —Senator Ibrahim Musa, CPC, Niger North

Well you know that the President has the right to fire anybody he so desires, so the issue of assignment of the new National Security Adviser, I neither commend nor condemn him; I don’t blame Azazi.

The issue of security is that which no one has a monopoly of it; I don’t blame him in the sense that he is not an angel, he cannot be here and be there at the same time, nobody knows what is going to happen next in the other place, what I think we should do is to pray for the survival of this country and for us to see the end of this Boko Haram.

On the expectations from the new Security Adviser, I don’t have much to say.

Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, Kaduna Central, Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries

Presently, I think the issue of insecurity, Boko Haram, to be specific is what is topmost in everybody’s mind, I believe that expectations are for him to be able to help to work out how government is going to dialogue with them and how we are going to see an end to all these senseless killings. That should be topmost in his agenda.

It is the most difficult job in the country —Senator Garba Mohammed Basheer, Kano Central, Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Works

First of all, I want to say that I do not envy his position, this is just the most difficult job in the country now; the expectations are so high, the challenges are huge.

I believe that as an experienced military officer, he has the basic experience, he is someone that has a good network across the country and I believe he cannot do it alone, we as Nigerians regardless of whatever are our backgrounds have to come and support him so that he can succeed, but let me say that I have no doubt in him, he is going to do his best.

I think like the President mentioned, it wasn’t because the previous NSA failed in his duties, this is more of an additional hand; this thing happens, some come, some go. I believe he can deliver.