ABUJA – Rep. Friday Itulah (Edo-PDP) on Tuesday in Abuja expressed support for the Federal Government’s efforts to extend the emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
Itulah told newsmen that there was need to intensify efforts to ensure that the insurgency currently confronting the country was addressed.
According to the lawmaker, “I think it is worth it as long as the reason for the extension has not been realised.
“There is need to extend the emergency rule.
“Some aspects of it also need to be revisited to make the fight more effective.
“I think it is working because if there was no emergency rule, the situation would have been worse.
“That was why I said Federal Government needed to revisit some aspects of the emergency rule to make it better.
“The house is supposed to reconvene on Dec. 3, but since this is a national emergency, let us see how it goes,’’ Itulah said.
Similarly, Mr Simeon Omaliko, State Chairman, African Democratic Congress (ADC), in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the extension was inevitable.
“When your house is burning, do you go to sleep?’’
He said that the Federal Government was adopting civil approach in combating insurgency, to prevent possible killing of innocent citizens.
Mr Mba Chinwendu, a lawyer, said that the fight against insurgency required a collective effort.
According to him, “Nigerians are always quick in blaming the president rather than supporting the fight against this menace’’.
Section 305 of 1999 Constitution provides for the imposition of a state of emergency in the country or any part of it.
It empowers the President to issue the declaration by way of official gazette.
It also provides that a two-third majority of the National Assembly must ratify the executive proclamation within two days, if the legislators are in session, or 10 days, if they are not.
However, the House of Representatives, which is expected to rectify the proclamation of state of emergency, is currently on recess since Oct. 28 and expected to resume on Dec. 3.
NAN recalls that a Federal High Court in Abuja granted an injunction stopping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers from reconvening the house from recess.
Justice Ahmed Muhammed said the PDP legislators could not take a decision to reconvene the house and also that all parties to the suit must maintain the status quo.
The ruling came after members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the house filed a motion on notice, asking the court to stop the Federal Government, PDP and their agents from reconvening the house until Dec. 3.
The emergency rule was first declared in the affected states on May 14, 2013 by President Goodluck Jonathan over the continued activities of insurgents in the three states.
The decision to extend it for the third time was taken at a meeting of the National Defence Council presided over by Jonathan on Monday. (NAN)