A Bill for an Act to establish the National Security Trust Fund has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.
The 26 Clauses bill which seeks to provide for the maintenance of a Trust Fund will cater for the procurement of military security infrastructure and technology for security agencies in the country.
Sponsor of the Bill, Mr. Rimamnde Kwewum (PDP, Taraba) while at plenary on Tuesday explained that the model of the trust fund will centralize planning for proper coordination of resources and manpower.
Kwewum said the trust fund will ensure a predictable income base which will facilitate investment in Defence and Security Industry as it will assure long term loans and facilities for potential investors and increase public private partnership.
According to the lawmaker, the trust fund will also help in the reduction of the infrastructural and equipment deficiency in the security agencies and will create a global based practice of both legislative and civilian oversight of the security sector.
He said the existing legal order providing for security agencies in Nigeria include but not limited to the Police Act of 2004, the national security agencies Act of 2004, the Armed forces Act of 2004 and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps Act of 2003.
The bill x-ray further that its sources of funding will come from 5% of value added tax accruable to Consolidated Revenue Fund, 5% of the license fees collected by the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), 5% of the 2.5% Operating Tax Telecom operators pay to NCC among others.
Supporting bill’s debate, Mr. Adamu Kamale (APC, Adamawa) said it is worth doing and it would help Nigeria.
Also in support of the bill, Nnena Elendu-Ukeje Chairperson, House committee of Foreign Affairs said “we all yearn for a more mobile, better equipped military, more men, more helicopters for close air support, resupply, reinforcement and avacuation of wounded in battle.
“We want a military that with conditions of service that can attract the mist patriotic, most dedicated men and women. All these cost money”, she added.
Speaking against the bill, Mr. Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) said “the Foundation of the bill is wrong. Every decision of the bill is totally wrong. We must conceive a law that would be accepted to all Nigerians.
The bill further scaled through voice vote of the majority when the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara put it up.
To this end, it was referred to the House committees on Army, Defence and National Security and intelligence for further legislative input.
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