Lawmakers’ lives in danger, Dogara cries out

Speaker Yakubu Dogara yesterday canvassed a review of the legal framework on security in the National Assembly, alleging that the lives of lawmakers were in danger.

He warned that the present situation where the security had been left in the hands of the Sergeant-at-Arms and a multiplicity of other security agencies could not guarantee security of lawmakers.

Dogara, who made the remarks at a Pan-African conference on parliamentary security, held in Abuja, lamented that though the Sergeant- at-Arms was the recognised security in parliaments across the world, the system had not created enough legal powers that would enhance the performance of their duties. 

Clerks and Sergeant-at-Arms from national and Houses of Assembly in Nigeria, as well as their counterparts from 17 other African countries, including Liberia, Uganda and Kenya, brought the conference together.

Dogara said given the wave of terrorism and frequent attacks on parliaments across the world, there was an urgent need to strengthen the laws to give the traditional police of the parliament enough powers to take care of security within the precincts of the parliament.