Members of House of Representatives have commended the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu for spearheading the initiative to deploy non-kinetic means of resolving the security impasse and for rallying support for victims of insecurity in the South East region of the country.
In a motion on the floor of the House during plenary on Wednesday, Hon. Makki Abubakar Yalleman representating Malla-Madori/Kaugama Federal Constituency of Jigawa State and Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, urged Members of the House of Representatives to commend the Deputy Speaker for the initiative describing it as a game-changer in the fight against insecurity in the country, a statement signed by Sam Hart, the Publicity Secretary of Peace Fund said.
Contributing to the motion, Hon. Jimi Benson, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State, noted that the initiative by the Deputy Speaker was a laudable intervention capable of changing the narrative of engagement between security operatives and the people of the South East and commended the Deputy Speaker for the initiative.
Hon. Benson, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, also lauded the Peace Fund set up by the Deputy Speaker to provide succor for families of security personnel killed in the line of duty in the South East and other victims of the Insecurity in the region.
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The ranking Lawmaker urged his colleagues to support the Deputy Speaker’s initiative and noted that it holds the promise to de-escalate the tension in the region and provide a renewed template of engagement between security forces and the citizenry.
Other contributors to the motion including Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, Member Representing Pankshin/Kanam/ Kanke Federal Constituency of Plateau State and Chairman of the House Committee on Navy noted that the conventional kinetic approach adopted by security forces in the fight against insecurity in the country was not yielding the desired results and posited that the non-kinetic approach championed by the Deputy Speaker was the needed alternative approach to the lingering problem while commending Hon. Kalu for his pro-active initiative.
Other Chairmen of Committees overseeing security agencies in the country, including Hon. Kabiru Usman Rumrum representing Rano/Bunkure/ Kibiya Federal Constituency of Kano State and Chairman of the House Committee on Airforce, supported the motion and called for the adoption of the approach to usher in a new paradigm in tackling the malaise of insecurity in the South East and the nation at large.
It would be recalled that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu had in December 2023, unveiled the Peace in the South East Project (PISE-P), an initiative he launched in conjunction with the Members of the House of Representatives from the South East region to address the insecurity situation in the South East and introduce a new approach towards tackling the problem.
The Peace in the South East Project has since it’s unveiling, engaged in a series of advocacy activities to ensure a more humane interaction between security forces and the people of the South East.
On Sunday, June 2, 2024, the Deputy Speaker visited the families of deceased soldiers at the 144 Batalion Headquarters in Asa, Abia State where he announced the unveiling of a Peace Fund to cater for the families of bereaved security officials in the region and opened the fund with a personal donation of Ten Million Naira.
Hon. Kalu swiftly set up a Management Committee for the Peace Fund which raked in over Forty Million Naira within twenty four hours of its unveiling and charged the committee to role out programs that will provide succor to families of bereaved security agents as well as other victims of insecurity in the South East region and beyond.
Well-meaning Nigerians from within the country and beyond have since been donating generously to the fund.
