Senate extends emergency rule by six months

The Senate at plenary met behind closed doors on Thursday and after deliberation for an hour unanimously approved President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for extension of emergency rule in the North-East for another six months.

President Jonathan had on Wednesday sent a letter requesting for an extension of emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States by six months to the Senate.
He declared a state of emergency in those states in May, following escalation of attacks by Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
Also, the session, presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu, resolved to summon the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim; the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba; and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Badeh, to give situation reports on the emergency rule.
The Supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Viola Onwuliri is expected to attend the meeting.
The Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, had moved a motion vide Order 136 of the Senate Standing Orders that the House go into a closed session to discuss and consider President Jonathan’s correspondence of a security report on the state of emergency in the three affected states from the Chief of Army Staff.
“The discussion in closed session was unanimous to extend the state of emergency in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe,” Ndoma-Egba announced at plenary.
He equally moved that the Senate “approve the request of Mr President, to extend the state of emergency in the three states on the same terms and conditions as earlier approved and gazetted.
“Following from our consideration of the President’s request in a closed session, I also move that we invite the service chiefs and the Foreign Affairs Minister to confirm the impact of the state of emergency in those states.”
The motion was seconded by the Minority Whip.