Stakeholders have advocated for quick passage and assent to the
Critical National Infrastructure Bill, under consideration at the
National Assembly in order to ensure the protection of national
assets.
The stakeholders unanimously made the call at the opening ceremony of
the National Stakeholders summit on “Protecting the Integrity of
Nigeria’s Critical Infrastructures, Monuments and Business Assets” in
Abuja.
Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Senator
George Akume, who was chairman of the occasion, said Nigeria now faces
more security threats that have different characteristics among
states.
Represented by the Director Human Resource Management, Mrs Maria
Ngaji, Akume said the nature of threats to Nigeria’s security has
changed significantly in the last two decades.
He said structural challenges, such as the systematic vandalisation,
degradation and destruction of Nigeria’s critical national
infrastructures, monuments and business assets; terrorism, insurgency,
cyber-crimes, banditry, kidnapping, piracy, oil bunkering, drug
trafficking and other forms of organised crime, have created an
entirely new security environment.
He added that the gross expansion of the contours that define security
boundaries makes it imperative to recognise the eco-systemic
dimensions of the threats that stare at us daily and in every form.
He lamented that the rampancy and intensity of the vandalisation and
destruction of Nigeria’s infrastructures and assets prompted President
Muhammadu Buhari to give marching order to the Armed Forces,
intelligence and security establishments and all Nigerians to ensure
maximum vigilance and shared responsibility in the protection and
security of assets and platforms at all points in their life-cycle.
The minister called on all stakeholders, both in the public and
private sectors, with diverse political, religious and professional
orientations to “put aside all prejudices to help forge a common front
to confront the monster that is threatening the integrity of our
corporate existence as a people and as a nation.”
Chairman Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators, Engr.
Gbenga Adebayo, lamented vandalisation of infrastructure and high rate
of crimes in communities due to unemployment and called on President
Buhari to designate telecommunications sites as critical national
assets.
