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Reps Approve Emergency Rule In Three States …As Senate Defers Debate To Tuesday
Cross section of participants at the Public Works Maintenance, Orientation programme held at the Ministry of Justice conference hall in Port Harcourt. Photo: Prince Dele Obinna
The House of Representatives in Abuja yesterday approved the request of President Goodluck Jonathan for the extension of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe for another six months.
Jonathan requested for the extension in a letter to the House on May 13.
The approval followed a three-hour meeting with the Service Chiefs and Heads of Security on the current state of emergency in the three states.
Addressing a news conference, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Zakari Mohammed, said the House voted unanimously for extension for the stability of the country.
Zakari said the Service Chiefs had also assured them that the extension would further consolidate the gains of the past one year period of the rule.
“We were given all the assurances by our Service Chiefs that they are on top of the situation’’, he said.
Rep. Ezekiel Adaji (PDP-Benue), said the House had no option than to approve the President’s request for the extension.
“I think we have no option, we must accept that this is a war and I think we are winning, so let them consolidate’’, he said.
“That is why we need this briefing, we have seen where there are loopholes and we have given them some recommendations.
Rep. Abiodun Balogun (APC-Ogun), said after the briefing, the House discovered that there was need for the extension of the state of emergency in the three states.
He said that it was agreed that the military must also justify the extension granted as the House would not grant another state of emergency after this.
Rep. Nnenna Ukeje (PDP-Abia), said they approved the state of emergency to give the Nigerian army time to do the work they had signed to do.
According to her, the House has shown, with the approval of the extension of emergency rule, the quest to end insurgency in the country.
Parliament did a responsible thing today and that is to extend the state of emergency in the three states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno.
“We hope that we will curb this insurgence and bring back the Chibok girls and hopefully, put an end to terrorism in Nigeria’’, she said.
Rep. Pally Iraise (APC- Edo), said that any solution proffered to put an end to terrorism in Nigeria was welcome.
“We have given them the extension that they seek; it is now for us to follow up and be sure that whatever needed to be done will be done within this extension.
“In the next three to six months, we want to see an end to this menace of terrorism’’, she said.
The emergency rule was extended for another six months, beginning from Nov. 12, 2013 after same was approved by the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Senate, for the second time, yesterday, deferred debate on the President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for an extension of the State of Emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states for another six months.
The senate postponed debate on the request to next Tuesday after a closed door session with the Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police and the Director General of State Security Service (SSS).
The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, explained that after the closed door session, the Senate resolved to continue debate on the issue on Tuesday.
Ekweremadu said that the Senate would carry out wider consultations with all relevant stakeholders involved to ensure that everyone was carried along.
“The senate met with the service chiefs and we were fully briefed on the operations of the state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa over the last 12 months.
“As responsible and patriotic Nigerians, we are looking to ensure that the security in those states improved at the shortest possible time.
“We also agreed to further consult with stakeholders to ensure that everybody would buy into whatever needs be done to secure those states and to defeat insurgency in those states.
“So by Tuesday, we would continue our deliberation on the issue of the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
Sen. Hope Uzodinma (PDP-Imo) expressed confidence that all the issues raised by the senators would be resolved when the senate reconvenes next Tuesday.
Uzodinma said:”I am sure by Tuesday, we would get through with it, because between now and Tuesday the leadership of the senate would do more consultations.”
Sen Smart Adeyemi said that most senators were swayed from their initial positions after listening to the briefing by the service chiefs.
“You are taking a decision that is going to affect a particular area. So, we have to take time and investigate what they have said so that we would speak from the point of knowledge.
“When the service chiefs came and spoke at length to us quite a number of senators changed their opinion.
“So, as it is many of the legislators have not really made up their mind as to whether they are going to support it or not.
“But the safety of lives and property is of paramount importance to all of us,”Adeyemi added.
Also speaking, Sen. Ahmed Lawal (APC-Yobe) insisted that,”we are against state of emergency”.
Lawal, however, said that the military should be provided with proper equipment to effectively tackle the crisis.
“What we require is effectiveness and that does not require state of emergency. What we need to do is to ensure that whatever resources are appropriated are utilised properly.
“The military had conducted very massive operations in Nasarawa, Benue, Zamfara and recently in Katsina.
“Those states were not under a state of emergency before those operations were conducted.
“And let me tell you insurgency does not end. In Turkey, the PKK insurection is over 30 years; and the FARC uprising in Colombia is over 50 years.
“Insurgency does not end. What you need to do is to continue to get the right arms and re-strategise until you get to the situation where people would feel better,”Lawal declared.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.