The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen is canvassing for a special African Parliamentary Forum that will ensure natural resources are harnessed responsibly, to serve and empower the Africa people.
Abbas made the proposal at the opening of the 8th Conference of Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees in Abuja.
Addressing the conference titled “Security Governace of Natural Resources in Africa: Parliamentarians Confronted with New International Security Dynamics,” the Speaker tasked the lawmakers to monitor regions with resource conflicts, collaborate with regional legislative bodies to collect data, recommend safeguards, and support community-led development initiatives.
He maintained that the struggle for peace is also a struggle for responsible stewardship of Africa’s natural endowments.
Abbas further disclosed that illicit mining, opaque oil contracts and unregulated timber corridors generate revenue streams that arm insurgents, corrupt institutions and deny communities the dividends of growth.
“Where resource governance is weak, violence takes root; where it is transparent and accountable, prosperity and stability follow. Nigeria’s recent reforms illustrate the point.
“I recommend that our parliaments form a special forum to monitor regions with resource conflicts, he added.
Deputy Speaker of The Gambian Parliament, Seedy Njie said that security matters concerns every stakeholder emphasizing that members of parliament want the citizens of Africa to live in peace and harmony.
He also tasked security chiefs across the continent on protection of territorial integrity and sovereignty of African nations.
“I urged all service chiefs in Nigeria and beyond to work tirelessly to ensure that our people live in peace and harmony.
“The issue of fear, terrorism, bandits and arm rubbery is becoming common in the sub Saharan Africa and we need to do whatever it takes us to take our responsibility seriously and defend our territorial integrity and sovereignty of our nations,” he said.
He assured that the parliamentarians were willing to work with the Federal Government in the advancement of the social-economic wellbeing of Africa.
In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmed Satomi noted that parliamentarians play crucial roles in ensuring effective oversight, transparency, and accountability in the management of natural resources and security forces.
Satomi said that through legislative instruments, lawmakers should ensure sustainable and credible governance processes for natural resources born out of the specific circumstances taking place on the local stage and broader agenda for governance across the globe.
“We must work together to develop durable and people-centred security solutions, aligning constitutional provisions with evolving threats and realities on the ground.
“I am delighted that the fundamental objectives of our Network have strongly and strategically positioned us to undertake these responsibilities.
“Let us therefore, work together to address these pressing security challenges and ensure that our natural resources contribute to the prosperity and stability of our great continent,” he said.
On the part of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu,who was represented by the Director Defence Affairs, Maj.-Gen. Peter Malla (rtd), the competition for resources led to conflicts between communities, herders, and farmers, exacerbating existing tensions in several countries.
The NSA also affirmed that mismanagement of natural resources brought about economic instability, corruption, and poverty while the extraction of natural resources resulted to security threats, including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.
“We must come together to address the challenges we face, we need a comprehensive approach.
“We need to share intelligence and coordinate efforts to prevent and counter security threats related to natural resources extraction.
“We need to secure our borders to prevent
the smuggling of goods and the movement of terrorists and bandits.
“We need to leverage technology
to detect and neutralize threats before they materialise and engage with local communities
to raise awareness and prevent radicalization that fuels terrorism,” he said.
