Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence, Senator Jonah David Jang has decried the inability of security agencies in the country to combat the security challenges that have ravaged the nation due to poor funding, and has pledged the commitment of the Senate to assist in tackling the menace.

He also lamented that the insecurity has compounded the economy of northern Nigeria, and applauded President Muhammad Buhari for giving a directive for the employment of 10,000 Police officers nationwide with a view to improving on the nation’s security.

Jang, representing Plateau North zone, and immediate past governor of Plateau State, stated this yesterday during separate visits to the state Police Command, Department of State Security (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). He called on the Federal Government to take proactive steps towards looking into the plights of internally displace persons (IDPs) in the state.

He noted with dismay how crisis victims in Plateau, where the violence started before it escalated to different parts of the country, are left to cater for themselves, and pleaded with the President to consider IDPs in Plateau for rehabilitation as effort is being made to rehabilitate Boko Haram victims in the North East.

“I am happy that the President has directed the recruitment of 10, 000 Police personnel across the country and I believe that is just for a start, the police need manpower, the police need serious training, the welfare of the security agencies need serious improvement.

“Being in the Senate, we will work to see that the welfare of the Police and other security agencies is improved upon and that they are properly equip to carry their constitutional responsibility.

We will support any matter brought before us that has to do with security agencies to improve on the security of the whole nation.

“The security challenges in Plateau is not a problem that is peculiar to Plateau State alone, we have security challenges all over the country; we are all aware of what is happening in the North East, Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Kano, and in the south. We have kidnapping problems in most of the states, so there is so much security challenges across the country.”

While appreciating security agencies in the state for supporting him during his tenure as governor of the state, Jang said “when I was governor, we collaborated with all security agencies at the state Security Council meetings and brought the situation in the state to what we have today.”

He pledged to partner with all security operatives in the state in tackling the security challenges in Plateau North Senatorial zone and the country at large.

Responding, the state Director, Department of State Security (DSS) Shehu Waziri lamented that over 40 villages in Riyom and Barkin-Ladi have been abandoned due to insecurity and said they were working in collaboration with key stakeholders in the state to mitigate the challenge and return the people to their communities.

count | 517

Jang decries poor funding of security agencies in Nigeria