Senate Approves Emergency Rule

L-R: Senator Femi Kila, Vice President, Nigeria Society of Engineers, Corporate Resources and Media,
Mrs Margaret Oguntala and NSE President, Mr Ademola Olorunfemi, at the first quarterly news conference of the society in Abuja last Friday.

The Senate on yesterday approved the extension of emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. The approval followed a written request to that effect by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Senate had last week deferred debate on the request to allow for adequate consultation. However, Northern Senators Forum had kicked against the request.
The approval was preceded by over four hours closed door meeting between Senators from the affected states and the principal officers of the Senate. The Senate also went into a closed door session for one hour on resumption of plenary.
Senate President David Mark announced after the meeting that the lawmakers deliberated on the request during its closed-door session and agreed to approve it.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has given reasons for the extension of emergency rule in of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States as requested by President Goodluck Jonathan
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, said the need to provide a legal framework for the war against terrorism and to consolidate on the successes recorded in recent past are some of the reasons why the House extended the emergency rule for a further six months in the affected states.
Tambuwal, who spoke while receiving the Botswana High Commissioner in Nigeria, Lt. Gen. Louis M. Fisher, at the National Assembly yesterday, said the granting of the extension would not only provide a enabling environment for foreign countries who are in the country to help the government locate the abducted Chibok girls and solve other security challenges, but would also give them a legislative instrument to carry out their operations.
He said the House is working closely with other arms of government to ensure that the abducted girls are returned to their families alive and in good condition adding that the House was determined to continue appropriating funds and put in place enabling laws to allow the armed forces operate efficiently.
“Our effort is not just geared towards safe return of our girls, but is also targeted at ending insurgency in the country as a whole,” Tambuwal said.