A former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States in view of the persistent terrorists’ attacks and insecurity in the states.
Clark, who is also an elder statesman, asked the President to remove the governors of affected states, saying their sacking would make the war on insurgency meaningful and easy.
Clark stated this in an open letter he addressed to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), which he read to journalists at his residence last Monday in Abuja.
He accused Governors Bindo Jibrilla (Adamawa), Kashim Shettima(Borno) and Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe) of frustrating efforts of the Federal Government in nipping the war in the bud because of what he described as the governors’ selfishness and what they stand to gain.
He alleged that the Borno State governor takes the advantage of being the Chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum by always travelling out of the state and abandoning his people.
The foremost Ijaw leader explained that the state of emergency in the three states was necessary in order to allow the military clear the remnants of the insurgents in them.
He appealed to Malami to prevail on President Buhari to act fast and mandate the military to end insurgency within six months.
The ex-minister said the abduction of 110 Dapchi school girls was a clear indication that the Boko Haram terrorists were still very active in the North-East and ready to cause more damage.
He stated that insecurity in the country and particularly in the North-East should not be seen as a normal phenomenon, adding that pragmatic military and political approaches were necessary to stem the tide.
Clark noted that it has become imperative to put in place a state of emergency with senior military officers as the sole administrators.
He said, “Buhari should declare a total state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. This will create conducive atmosphere for the military to clear the remnants of Boko Haram.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has dismissed calls for the declaration of a state of emergency in the North-East, explaining that the action would not be enough to win the war against Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
The Presidency made the explanation in response to the suggestion made by a former Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, among other stakeholders.
Clark had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the three north-eastern states to check the escalation of the insurgency in the area.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, who reacted to the calls in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, said that a similar state of emergency in the past did not yield any positive result.
“Under President (Goodluck Jonathan), state of emergency was declared in those three states, what did it achieve?” he questioned, adding “that is already telling you that it goes beyond a state of emergency.”
While making the call, Clark had expressed optimism that declaring a state of emergency in the states would assist in curbing the activities of terrorists in the troubled North-East region.
He also condemned the abduction of 110 schoolgirls by the insurgents in Dapchi, Yobe State, and accused the state governor as well as those of Borno and Adamawa States of failing in their duties as chief security officers of their states.
But Adesina insisted that the Federal Government has a totally different approach to fighting the insurgency.
“What should happen is bringing a decisive and final end to the insurgency raving those states, and by the grace of God, we are almost there.”
The presidential aide, who announced earlier in a statement that President Buhari would be visiting some troubled states in the country, explained the rationale behind the visits.
“The President is going to those states to visit everyone; all stakeholders are going to be invited for meetings – traditional rulers, farmers, herdsmen, community leaders,” Adesina said.
He listed the states to include Rivers, Benue, Adamawa, Taraba and Jigawa.
Adesina denied claims that the visits were delayed for political reasons, noting that the President has decided to embark on the visits after studying the reports of the delegations he sent to the states.