For about two and a half hours, Service Chiefs met members of the House of Representatives yesterday to defend why the emergency rule in three states should be extended.
They said without the six-month extension, the United States and other Allied Forces cannot operate freely to rescue the 276 abducted girls.
Also, they confirmed that National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Air Marshal Alex Badeh had gone to France for a strategic meeting on how to rescue the Chibok girls whose abduction on April 15 has sparked a global outrage.
The Service Chiefs had a closed-door session with members of the House on whether or not to extend emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
They held Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and other members spell bound for two and half hours on the need for six more months of emergency rule in the three states.
They gave four key reasons to back their stand. These are:
•the situation in the states, which they described as “fragile”, “unpredictable” and a “threat to peace”;
•extension will boost intelligence gathering and operation against Boko Haram insurgents;
•emergency rule will give the U.S. and other foreign collaborators freedom and legal backing to operate and enter any part of Nigeria to free the abducted 276 girls; and
•to avoid trial/ sanction by International Criminal Court and other bodies if due process is not followed in military campaigns against insurgents.
It was gathered that the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Usman Jubrin, who stood in for the CDS, gave insights into the operation against the insurgents in the Northeast.
Admiral Jubrin said: “We need your support as our political leaders to make headway in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency. The six-month extension is necessary and we are hopeful that we should be able to curtail these insurgents.
“It is not as if it is convenient for all but it (emergency rule) is the only way to end this insurgency. We have so far succeeded in driving away the insurgents from Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State to only Sambisa Forest from where they come out to operate.
“With what is on ground and our operations so far, we need the extension of the emergency rule.
“We should also give our foreign collaborators, who are coming to assist, the enabling environment to operate. It is only under the state of emergency that they can function very well to search and rescue the abducted girls.
“The emergency rule gives legal backing for our operations and international intervention. Otherwise, after the insurgency, our soldiers and international collaborators will be appearing before International Criminal Court for crimes.
“We will get the abducted girls back, but we will not divulge operational information,” he said.
The Service Chiefs cited court verdicts on the invasion of Odi and Zaki-Biam to back up their demand for the extension of the emergency rule.
They said the invasion of the two towns during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo became a subject of litigation because Obasanjo did not seek the legal backing of the National Assembly.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Kenneth Minimah said: “Although insurgency has abated in Yobe State, the extension of the emergency rule in the three states was designed to prevent Boko Haram from relocating to Yobe State to meet and plot attacks.”
Asked about the package for fallen troops, Gen. Minimah said: “Ideally, soldiers who died under two years in service are not entitled to certain perks and entitlements, but because of the nature of the battle against insurgents, equal treatment is being given to all gallant soldiers.”
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu, admitted that there had been under-funding of the military over the years.
“He added: “The neglect has been over the years; it is not just today. The Armed Forces will ask for N20billion but they will give N2billion.
“We plead with you to provide funds for the Armed Forces and security agencies to play their roles well.”
Inspector-General of Police Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar said: “The extension of the state of emergency will enable the military and security agencies to carry out more intelligence gathering and operate within the ambit of the law.
“If you give us the legal backing, the better. Nobody wants to go to ICC for trial after leaving office.”
The Director of the State Security Service, Ekpenyong Ita, said: “We have done a lot to foil many planned attacks by the insurgents. We have been taking preemptive action and we have aborted many attacks.
“We have also tracked down and arrested those behind some of the bomb explosions in some parts of the country.
“We are doing our best to rescue the abducted girls. Troops are closing in on Sambisa Forest.”
Overwhelmed by the brief from the Service Chiefs, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal said: “As Nigerians, this is the time to rise above sentiments; we should be patriotic. Let us put national stability and security on the front burners.”
A source said: “With the emotion-laden evaluation of the Speaker and the brief from the Service Chiefs, we all bought the idea of extending the emergency rule.”
The House of Representatives consequently approved an extra six months extension of emergency rule in the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
President Goodluck Jonathan had in a letter to the Speaker, dated May 5, brought a equest to the National Assembly for an extension of the state of emergency in the Northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa
Media and Public Affairs Committee Chairman Zakari Mohammed told reporters after the executive session that the decision was devoid of party affiliation.
According to him, from the briefing received from the Service Chiefs, some men were lost during the operations, but that nonetheless, adequate provision had been made for the payment of pension and gratuity and motivation for the soldiers and security personnel involved in the operation.
He noted that the situation is an opportunity to share intelligence and information among security agencies and the international allies.
But the presidential request suffered a setback in the Senate, which failed to vote on it.
The Upper Chamber unanimously resolved to difer its consideration of the request.
It, however, invited Minister of Defence Aliyu Gusau, Col. Dasuki, Minister of Police Affairs Abduljelili Adesiyan, Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to appear before senators today.
Although the request was listed for debate on the order paper, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba moved a motion that it be deferred till today.
Ndoma-Egba said the Senate could only debate the proclamation of a state of emergency after it has been gazetted and copies of the gazette circulated to all senators.
He said the Senate would also require adequate briefing from the security agencies in camera on the progress of the ongoing emergency rule, which has been in place since May last year, before proceeding with the consideration.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, described the motion as “a very serious business which bothers on the security of a part of this country “.
Ekweremadu said the Senate need to be “well informed of the situation on ground and the efficiency or the effectiveness of the state of emergency in the past 12 months to enable us take a proper decision”.
“I, therefore, appeal that in accordance with the motion moved by the Senate Leader, we should step it down till another legislative day.”
Senator James Manager, who seconded the motion said: “It is important to invite the Service Chiefs but since they were under some authorities, I want to amend the motion as proposed by the Senate Leader by adding two very important persons.
“First the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Police Affairs.”
House of reps okay emergency rule extension Borno, Yobe, Adamawa
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for dropping your response, there are other interesting news on the page too