NO ROOM FOR EXTENSION - SENATORS, REPS
We Will Implement Directives from Government - Army FG Should Equip Troops Adequately - Borno Elders State of Emergency has Failed -Solomon Dalong
As the emergency rule imposed on three states in the North-East, namely, Borno, Adamawa and Yobe expired yesteday, some senators and members of the House of Representatives, especially from the affected states, are poised to kick against its possible extension.
This is even as governments and key stakeholders in the affected states have equally expressed their opposition to any extension, saying emergency rule was no longer necessary because the previous ones have failed to achieve the desired result.
The state of emergency in the three states was first declared in May last year for an initial period of six months and was subsequently extended by another six months following approval by the National Assembly.
Although the federal government is yet to formally send a request to the National Assembly for another extension, some lawmakers from both chambers have vowed not to endorse the extension should President Jonathan send a request to that effect.
Speaking with Sunday Trust, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan (APC, Yobe), said he would move against any attempt to further extend the emergency rule because it must not necessarily be in place for troops to be deployed to the restive states.
“When we say that state of emergency should not be extended we don’t mean you should withdraw the security forces from those states. The federal government could even deploy more troops if they want, but there doesn’t have to be emergency rule in place before they operate.
“There must not be an extension of emergency rule in the three states. If there must be, then you should also declare same in Kastina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa States where people are being killed in their hundreds on a daily basis,” Senator Lawan said.
Also speaking, Senator Mohammed Jibrilla Bindo (APC, Adamawa), chairman, Senate Committee on Defence said: “I will oppose the extension one million times. It should not be extended because it makes no difference.
“More troops should be deployed, but the word ‘emergency’ must be removed. The troops under the present chief of army staff, who is an infantry man are doing well. He has changed their operational tactics and this should continue, but not under emergency rule.”
On his part, Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) said the declaration of emergency rule was a mere pronouncement because it had not in any way achieved the expected result.
“We as a people are against any extension because that is not the best way to go. We want the president to emphasise on Section 14, (2B) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria instead of using Section 305 which deals with the declaration of the state of emergency. We all know that Section 14 (2B) of the constitution clearly says that the main function of government is to provide security and welfare for its citizens; which means deploying more security agents, resources for rehabilitation, resuscitation of the destroyed economy and resettlement of displaced people. Unfortunately, government is not doing that, and that is why success is not recorded,” Ndume said.
According to him, if there is no peace in the North-East there will be no peace in any part of Nigeria. He added, “We are part of the whole called Nigeria. That is why even in the international community, if you talk about Nigeria they will tell you there is no peace there. It is because there is no peace in the North-East. We suffer this because the government still perceives the problem as that of the North-East and not a Nigerian problem.”
Some members of the House of Representatives who spoke with Sunday Trust also said emergency rule should not be extended because it has not achieved the desired result. Rep Aliyu Sani Madaki (APC, Kano), said: “I won’t support it. Why should I support it? What have they been able to achieve within the last one year of the emergency? Was it not recently that people were killed, including a monarch? School children were also abducted. Just look at the level of killings going on in those emergency states. It is as if there’s nothing on ground.
“When you have a state of emergency in place, people’s lives and property should be well protected. But what we’ve seen so far is far from that. The security agencies have not been able to contain the situation. So why must we have another state of emergency when the people there have been denied their rights of free movement? And they get killed every day.”
Rep Ibrahim Babangida Mahuta, from Katsina State is of the view that rather than extend it, government should put more security measures in place. “It has achieved nothing. What is happening in the three emergency states is also happening in many other states. If they want to extend it they should also declare it in Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Zamfara and others. So far, there’s no positive impact from the state of emergency. They should just allow democratic structure to continue,” he said.
Also speaking, Garba Idris Abdullahi (APC, Niger) said: “I won’t support it, and I believe most members won’t support it. They say there is state of emergency in place, but we learnt insurgents are being flown with helicopters, and nothing is done.
“Look at what happened in Chibok when insurgents went and abducted many female students. There are only about 15 soldiers there when they are supposed to have a full battalion there. So what have they achieved with the state of emergency apart from making life unbearable for the people in those states?” he queried.
Also, chairman House Committee on Justice, Rep Ali Ahmed, said: “Naturally, we should defer to security agencies on this on whatever they desire to achieve our collective aim. But increasingly, people have come to believe that their trust have been betrayed, so everyone now assumes that role, and I don’t blame them. The general thinking now is that emergency status has no effect whatsoever. I am not sure government will seek extension. But, why seek extension?”
Senate Leader Victor NdomaEgba (PDP, Cross Rivers) said the Senate was yet to receive a communication from the president on the matter, and will only take a decision after such communication is received.
Also, House spokesman, Rep Zakari Mohammed (APC, Kwara) said the House is on break, and so, had not discussed anything about it. He said he wouldn’t know what the decision of the House would be until it resumes. When contacted, the Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade said the military would implement whatever directive it receives from the political authority. BORNO, YOBE, ADAMAWA REACT Meanwhile, the government and people of the states under emergency rule have also bared their minds on any possible extension.
There was no official comment on whether Borno State government will support any extension, but a source close to the government said they had not heard anything on the matter from the Presidency.
However, spokesman of the Borno Elders Forum, Dr. Bulama Mali Gubio said extending the emergency will mean disenfranchising the people in future election.
“Federal government should give equipment to troops to pursue the insurgents in the bushes. It makes no sense for soldiers to always remain in the defensive,” he said.
Special Adviser to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam on Media, Malam Abdullahi Bego said the federal government did not contact them on the expiration of the emergency rule, adding that Yobe State was opposed to any plan to extend the period. “We were not contacted, and we are opposed to any extension,” he said.
While urging the federal government to review its strategy in the fight against insurgency, Bego said: “They should actively involve traditional rulers, religious leaders and local people to feed them with vital information for proper measures.”
Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako said there was no basis for contemplating the extension of state of emergency in Adamawa State, adding that the state was less peaceful than Abuja where a suicide bomb killed about a 100 people last week.
Speaking through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, the governor described the 12-month emergency rule imposed on Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states as ineffective, as the period only saw the escalation of insurgency.
“It is not the issue of attacks, the state of emergency has not been effective because more lives were lost during the period. The way they handled it shows that they are more concerned with politics and not the security of lives and property,” he said.