For the third time, President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday extended
emergency rule in the three North-east states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States
and asked the National Assembly to expeditiously approve the extension.
The president in letters addressed to Senate President David
Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, said
extending the emergency rule
was an option to consider because the security
situation in the affected states had not improved.
According to him, the security situation in the three states
remained daunting in view of persistent attacks by members of the Boko Haram
sect, whom he said, had continued to unleash terror on both the civilians and
the military.
The letter read: "May I respectfully draw your attention to
the state of emergency proclamation 2013, in respect of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe
States, which was approved by the National Assembly. By virtue of the
provisions of Section 305(6)(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1999 as amended, the proclamation aforementioned would have elapsed
after six months from the date of approval of the National Assembly.
"However, after due consideration of the representations
made to the Senate/House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
to the effect that, while substantial progress had been made to contain the
situation and restore normalcy in the affected states, the security situation
that necessitated the proclamation of a state of emergency is yet to abate.
"It would be recalled that the Senate of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria had upon consideration of the realities of the security
situation in the affected states that had been placed before it, graciously
approved by resolution, the extension of the state of emergency for a further
term of six months from the date of expiration of the subsisting period.
"Distinguished senators, the security situation in the
three states remains daunting, albeit to varying degrees, in the face of
persistent attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect on civilian and military
targets with alarming casuality rates.
"In view of the foregoing, I most respectfully request the
distinguished senators to consider and approve by resolution, the extension of
the proclamation of the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States by
a further term of six months from the date of expiration of the current term.
"I look foward, Distinguished Senate President, to the
usual kind of expeditious consideration of this request by the Senate of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria. Please accept, as always, the assurances of my
highest consideration and esteem."
In the House, after the Speaker read out the president's letter,
he said the lower chamber would debate the request today. Meanwhile in reaction
to the president's request to extend emergency rule in the three states, the
Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, rejected it, saying that this was
not the solution to the protracted Boko Haram menace in the area.
The governor communicated his displeasure in a statement issued
by his Special Adviser, Press Affairs and Information, Mallam Bego Abdullahi. The
statement read: "It has come to the notice of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam that
President Goodluck Jonathan, has written to the National Assembly asking for
yet another extension of emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, as
the current emergency rule expires in the next few days.
"The Yobe State Government, under the leadership of
Governor Gaidam, takes very strong exception to this move by the president. We
believe that extending emergency rule is not the answer to the prevailing
security challenges in the three affected states, in view of the apparent
failure of the same measure over the last 12 months."
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