The spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ben Kalu, has raised the alarm of insecurity within the National Assembly complex, saying that the offices of members are no longer safe to carry out their legislative duties. Kalu, who is the House Committee Chairman on Media and Public Affairs, said he was shocked on Tuesday morning when he found his personal office burgled.
“It’s actually surprising to see that somebody broke into my office. We are still trying to assess what was the intention of breaking into my office. Was it to take an important document out or to check if we are leaving money or any valuables in the office or to plant any security or spying device? Honestly, I don’t know but I have asked my aides to register it with the Sergeant-At-Arms. It is scary to come into your office and find this. This is one of the consequences of Covid-19 when we are not sitting every day. The time we were sitting every day, we never experienced this. So, hoodlums are beginning to see this also as an opportunity to break into people offices.
Speaking with journalists on the incident, the lawmaker said that he had asked his aides to report the matter to the Sergeant-At-Arms, the security machinery of the National Assembly while he interfaced with the House Committee on Security and the Police. He said the police will do their investigation and find out what actually happened.
“We can’t pin it down whether it was just breaking for stealing or breaking to spy on what the National Assembly is doing through my office. But whatever it is, I am sure the security agencies will get to the root of it. Of course, there have a been a lot of motions to that effect and the discussion has been ongoing for quite some time that the place is no longer as safe as it is supposed to be. For my office to be broken into; it means that I don’t know how many other offices have been broken into but as spokesperson of the House, I need to speak out so that people will know.
“The committee in charge of security needs to step up their game. I am going to immediately get in touch with those who are in charge of that committee to see what they are doing about situations of this nature. It’s actually shocking. It means that we are not safe to do our job. My aide arrived this morning after dropping me at the chamber and I walked in here now to see this. The door to my personal office cannot close. It is open. It is unsafe and we need to secure it today to avoid another incidence happening.”
