Emergency rule extension’ll depend on security reports –Reps

Members during plenary at the floor of the Nigeria House of Representatives

News By Punch

The House of Representatives, on Sunday,  said lawmakers would be guided by the security reports from the affected states in taking a decision on whether to extend the emergency rule in such states or not.

 

The Deputy House Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, said that security reports from the states would indicate the implications of removing the emergency rule.

Ogor stated this just as the Senate said that it would consider President Goodluck Jonathan’s demand for  the extension of emergency rule, if he presented it.

The state of emergency, which was imposed on Borno,Yobe and Adamawa states six months ago would end on April 19, 2014.

Ogor observed that since the protection of lives and property was the primary responsibility of the government, the House would act based on the security reports.

However, he noted that, Nigerians did not need a seer to let them know that the North East was still troubled by insurgency.

Ogor continued, “That zone where you have the three states (Adamawa, Borno, Yobe) in question, is under serious attacks as we speak.

“Can the police alone handle the situation if the soldiers are pulled out? That is the question.

“However, what will determine our decision is when we look at the security reports.

“We are not on the field. Those on the field will produce the reports on the true situation and that is when the House can act.

He added that though the National Assembly was already observing the Easter break, lawmakers would not mind applying the “Doctrine of Necessity” to grant an extension request by President Jonathan to address any constitutional challenges that might arise.

On its part, the Senate said that its decision on whether the emergency rule in three North-East states should be extended or not, would be taken after the consideration of Jonathan’s request on the issue.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, told one of our correspondents on the phone on Sunday that the upper chamber would not pre-empt the action of the President by making comments at the moment.

Abaribe said, “The Senate will await the request of Mr. President. Until then, we won’t make any comment on it. When the request is received, it will be debated upon and the outcome  will form the opinion of the Senate. For now, we can’t pre-empt the action of the President”

None of the senators representing the troubled region responded to the calls and text messages put through to their mobile phones for their reaction, as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters said that security authorities in the country were still analysing the situation in the North East.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade, said in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Sunday that the security authorities would brief the political leadership who would take the crucial decision on the issue.

Olukolade said that the security authorities were committed to the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities of securing the nation in line with the directive of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.