The lawmaker representing Delta North senatorial district, Ned Nwoko, on Wednesday explained why he is clamouring for a situation whereby Nigerians are allowed to bear arms.
Nwoko, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, noted that in view of the myriads of security challenges in the country, the masses resorting to self-defence wouldn’t be a bad idea.
When asked if carrying guns would solve the nation’s security problems, the lawmaker said: “Yes, it will.”
He also narrated how he lost his Senior Legislative Aide when gunmen attacked his home in Abuja.
“My SLA was killed in November last year and the wife said the estate was attacked by kidnappers. When they got to their door, they wanted to knock down the door, the wife and kids went to hide under the bed in one of the rooms.
“When he want to open the door, he was taken and nobody saw him again. As a matter of fact, those people who took him away have been arrested. If he had a gun or members of that estate had guns, you think the kidnappers would have the audacity to knock from house to house knowing that people are armed? That wouldn’t happen,” Nwoko said.
Under Pressure
During the show, the senator said that he is under pressure from his people because the state government is not living up to expectations.
He called on the Federal Government to prohibit importation of refined products, saying the government must protect local refineries.
“It’s very simple. Before I go to the public with this to say the state is owing hundreds of billions of naira and was able to pay less than about N200 billion out of it. It is in the public and everybody knows.
“His (the governor’s) media people have gone out to say this anyway that the state has a huge debt profile and that they are paying so much, but that is not my problem because every government can borrow if they have such revenue every month from the federation account and so much goes to the servicing of this loan.
“It does not stop them from borrowing to meet the needs of the people. How can I explain to my people ‘sorry we can’t do the road for you because the government is paying debts incurred by the previous government? Is that an explanation? I am under pressure from my people.”