Following insinuation in certain quarters that security personnel of the Sergeant-at-Arms, the internal security outfit for the National Assembly arbitrarily blocked the entrance into the NASS premises on Tuesday, the Sergeant -At- Arms, Air Commodore Zakari ,(rtd) has said the action was taken to prevent a security breach.
Speaking when Vanguard contacted him, Air Commodore Zakari who traveled to bury his late mother said the men attached to the Sergeant-At-Arms performed their functions very professionally and succesfully ensured there was no untoward incident.
He debunked allegations by some persons claiming that the security personnel resorted to extorting money from people wanting to enter the NASS complex as mischief by those who felt unconfortable with the security measure.
Read Also:
“I can tell you that our men acted very professionally and we succesfully ensured there was no untoward incident. And it is not true that the men resorted to extorting money from anybody. How can you be extorted when you cannot go in?
Recall that the security personnel prevented many persons, including staff, from accessing the lobby, which houses the entrance to the two chambers following the commencement of members of the 9th National Assembly who held their first sitting after their inauguration on Tuesday.
Federal legislative staff and other support staff were also blocked from accessing the lobby in an attempt to prevent people from having contact with the new lawmakers.
One of the men of the Sergeant-at-Arms, who spoke on condition of anonymity had said they were acting based on the “order from the above.”
It was howeverearnt that the National Assembly management did not want the lobby to be crowded by people in order not to disturb the newly sworn-in lawmakers.
END
