President Goodluck Jonathan has requested for approval from the Senate to extend emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States for six more months.
Jonathan made the request in a letter read on Tuesday at the plenary by Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy senate president. The request follows the near expiration of a second extension of such emergency rule in the affected states.
“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,” Jonathan’s letter read.
“By virtues 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 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to that effect, while substantial progress had been made to contain situation in the states, the development that necessitated the proclamation of a state of emergency was yet to abate.”
He reminded the Senate that after consideration of the realities of the security situation in the affected states at the expiration of the first emergency rule, they had approved extension of the rule by six months from the date of expiration, noting that the situation has not changed much.
“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 casualty rates,” the letter read further. “In view of the foregoing, I most respectfully request 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.”
Secretary of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Ahmed Lawan, representing Yobe north constituency, opposed the request, saying it would be wrong to extend the emergency rule, even though it is obvious that the Military is still far from quelling the insurgency.
