The Senate yesterday mandated its committees on Legislative Compliance and Communications to summon the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami over the use of telephones by kidnappers to negotiate ransom.
The Red Chamber took the decision following a resolution after the consideration of a motion on the spate of growing insecurity in Nigeria.
The Senator representing Taraba-South, Emmanuel Bwacha, who moved the motion, rising under Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, noted that the rate of insecurity in Nigeria had not only increased astronomically but had reached a melting point.
Bwacha said the unfortunate development had led to kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, assassination and other criminal activity in the country. He added that bandits and terrorists now negotiate for ransom using telephones and get away with it.
The Senate further noted that political permutations across the landscape are attracting politicians to recruit criminals for the purpose of destabilising the corporate existence of Nigeria.
“These evil intentions can be easily achieved given the poor control over communication facilities viz inability of our security apparatus and service providers to effectively manage this all-important sector”, Bwacha said.
The panel was asked to impress on the Minister the need to implement the resolutions of the Senate regarding security issues related to the mandate of his ministry.
