Africa needs special forum on natural resources – Abbas Tajudeen
By EricJames Ochigbo
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has recommended a special African Parliamentary Forum to ensure natural resources are harnessed responsibly to serve and empower the people.
Tajudeen made the recommendation on Wednesday at the opening of the Eighth Conference of Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees (REPAM-CDS) in Abuja.
The conference is titled: “Security Governance of Natural Resources in Africa: Parliamentarians Confronted with New International Security Dynamics.”
Tajudeen said the parliamentary special forum will monitor regions with resource conflicts, collaborate with regional legislative bodies to collect data, recommend safeguards, and support community-led development initiatives.
He said the struggle for peace is also a struggle for responsible stewardship of Africa’s natural endowments.
According to him, 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.
“Let us unite with unwavering resolve to strengthen our committees and harness our natural resources responsibly, ensuring they serve and empower our people,” he said.
Tajudeen called for a continent-wide agreement on digital sovereignty, to help countries protect their cyberspace and financial systems without infringing on civil rights.
He said that Africans are watching their parliamentarians and wanted them to turn debates into real action, to match words with results, and to protect democracy, dignity, and our shared heritage.
The speaker said the National Assembly remained ready to help by sharing expertise, creating centres for legislative drafting, strengthening intelligence cooperation, and supporting a free press that promoted accountability.
In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Rep. Ahmed Satomi (APC-Borno), said that parliamentarians played 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 borne 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 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.
The Deputy Speaker of The Gambian Parliament, Mr Seedy Njie, said that security matters concerned every stakeholder, saying members of parliament want citizens of Africa to live in peace and harmony.
He tasked security chiefs across the continent on protection of territorial integrity and sovereignty of African nations.
“I urge 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 armed robbery is becoming common in Sub-Saharan Africa and we need to do everything possible, to take our responsibility seriously and defend our territorial integrity and sovereignty of our nations,” he said.
He assured that the parliamentarians are willing to work with the Federal Government in the advancement of the social-economic wellbeing of Africa.
Also speaking, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said the competition for resources had led to conflicts between communities, herders, and farmers, exacerbating existing tensions in several countries.
Represented by the Director, Defence Affairs, retired Maj.-Gen. Peter Malla, Ribadu said the mismanagement of natural resources had led to economic instability, corruption, and poverty.
According to him, the extraction of natural resources has also posed security threats, including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.
“We must come together to address the challenges we face, we need a comprehensive approach that includes.
“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 neutralise threats before they materialise and engage with local communities to raise awareness and prevent radicalisation that fuels terrorism,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chioma Ugboma
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