June 1, 2022

A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun) has criticised Terrorism Prevention Act 2013 (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which seeks to prohibit payment of ransom for kidnapped victims.

Salam who represents Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency of Osun at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja described the bill which had passed third reading in the senate as “diversionary and escapist.’’

The lawmaker said that citizens whose loved ones are kidnaped should not be forced to watch them die when they can secure their release, especially when the security agencies are overwhelmed.

“With due respect to that institution, I think it is a misplacement of attention because if a citizen has the misfortune of having his son, daughter, wife or any member of the family kidnapped, he will do all that is within his capacity to get them freed.

“If government appears helpless, if the government appears nonchalant, if the government appears inefficient, you cannot place the burden or the responsibility of ensuring that the right thing is done on the citizens.

“I, with due respect to whoever brought that bill, with due respect to the institution, that piece of legislation is needless, it is diversionary, it is escapist.

“No one whose child is in captivity and has the capacity to secure the freedom who will not do so, especially when you know that the government does appear not to have the capacity to do so,’’ he said.

Salam called on President Muhammadu Buhari to double efforts and secure the release of all kidnapped victims.

The rep said that the house had done all it could including moving over 60 motions on insecurity in various parts of the country in the past three years and amending relevant bills.

According to him, the house went out of its mandate to organise a special security summit; no parliament in the world does that.

While saluting the courage and sacrifices of officers and men of security agencies, Salam said that saboteurs must be identified, exposed and made to face consequences.

“Nigeria needs to raise up and chase after the terrorists and criminals in the country; the most populous black nation, Nigeria is not so weak, not so clueless that we do not know what to do.

“If we devote half of the kind of energy and resources we are putting into politics on fixing Nigeria, we will have it fixed.

“We just have a set of selfish politicians and that is the truth, if we devout half of the energy, this problem will not last this long,’’ he said.(NAN)