Bayelsa West Senator, Seriake Dickson, has criticised his colleagues in the Senate for commending President Bola Tinubu over security efforts despite ongoing kidnappings and worsening insecurity across the country.

Speaking during Wednesday’s plenary, Dickson said lawmakers must “speak truth” to the President instead of offering politically correct praise. He warned that sugarcoating Nigeria’s security reality was “hypocritical” and a “disservice” both to the country and to the President.

He described a motion to commend the President on security as “ill-timed and insensitive”, arguing that such gestures were offensive to victims of terrorism, banditry and violent crime. “If things had been so well done, we would not be where we are today. How will victims, soldiers on the frontlines, and families of those killed feel?” he asked.

The Senator added that many lawmakers can no longer freely visit their constituencies due to heightened insecurity, stressing that some areas are effectively under terrorist control, where communities are forced to pay illegal taxes to criminal groups.

Dickson called for stronger oversight of the trillions allocated to the military and security agencies over the years, insisting the Senate’s responsibility is to demand accountability while supporting frontline troops.

He also accused the Senate President of deliberately misinterpreting his words during the debate and attempting to silence him. Dickson insisted he would not be intimidated: “The majority may have their way, but the minority must have their say.”

The lawmaker backed the Senate’s resolution to investigate the withdrawal of military personnel from Kebbi State and the killing of Major General U.A. Uba by ISWAP terrorists. He extended condolences to families of fallen soldiers and victims of insecurity, calling for national honesty and courage in confronting the crisis.