By Gift Chapi Odekina
The House of Representatives committee on National Intelligence Agency NIA on Wednesday revealed that the National Assembly may propose the exclusion of the agency from envelop budgetary system in the future.
The chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Sharada made the revelation during the committee’s budget defence with the Agency in Abuja.
According to Sharada, “In recognition of this reality, there may be needed to propose the exclusion of the national intelligence agencies the the envelope budgetary system in future national budgets
“This development will strengthen your operational capacity especially in the present situation that necessitates high level confidentiality in sharing information to relevant security agencies across the country.
“It must be emphasized without fear of contradiction that the Committee made inspiring discoveries in the recent oversight conducted over the agencies here present.
“This outcome has revealed your enormous role in supporting relevant National Security and enforcement agencies with classified information that provides the foundation for flieir operations.
“This role has become commendably discharged despite the challenges faced by many Security organizations in collaborating with sister agencies to fight crimes against national security.
Speaking on security, the Chairman however observed the need to intensify more efforts especially In intelligence gathering and inter agency collaboration to eliminate disturbing national crimes especially banditry, insurgency and kidnapping which according to him, their operations are propelled by information procured and mismanaged by undesirable members of the society.
“While the Committee appreciates the output from all agencies under the umbrella of the national intelligence community, coordinated by the National Security Adviser, It has also observed that the rate of Insecurity in our national life has taken international dimension with reported banditry, killings and boarder crimes.
He said that the ugly trend requires the National Intelligence Agency (MA) to intensify efforts in response to the challenges prevalent across the West African Sub region.
He also called on the NIA to collaborate with the Network of African Parliamentarians of Defense and Security Committees to utilize specific output from its deliberations in furtherance of national, regional and continental security.
Speaking further, Sharada explained why the committee will not scrutinize the agency’s budget because of
the sensitive nature of the agency.
‘Hon colleagues, it may be recalled that in both 2019 and 2020 budget defence, the Committee did not examine the details out of the presentations in recognition of the sensitive nature of operational expenditure of the agencies as major stakeholders in the national security system.
“This reality explains why the committee delayed oversight of the agencies until recently.
