HURIWA Endorses Modified Emergency Extension
* Supports Israeli's assistance;
A top flight civil society organization – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS' ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has backed President Good luck Jonathan's decision to extend emergency rule in the North East States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe but prayed that the emergency be modified to make it total state of Marshal Law.
Besides, the group sees the recent decision of the Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu's administration in Israel to join international military effort to end terrorism in Nigeria and rescue the over two hundred kidnapped girls as salutary.
The Rights group has therefore urged President Jonathan to modify his Presidential request for extension of emergency rule currently before the Senate of the Federal Republic because it does not make any difference for government to adopt the same kind of emergency rule that has failed to defeat the phenomenal threats to lives and property posed by the armed Islamic extremists since the last six months that the just ended emergency commenced.
“Adopting the same strategy and style that has failed abysmally to curb the murderous activities of the armed Islamic extremists for another six months is simply a waste of scarce national resources but what is needed is a change in strategy and nature of the war against insurgency that would be effective, efficient and result-oriented”, HURIWA asserted.
In a statement circulated to Journalists by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National media Affairs Director Miss. Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said government must change its counter-terrorism strategies and direct the hierarchy of the nation's military to weed out the many moles within their ranks that are undermining ongoing effort to defeat terrorism.
HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS' ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said there is nothing undemocratic to implement total emergency for another six months with the technical assistance of the Special Forces from the International Community to rid the North Eastern Nigeria from the ravaging scourge of violent extremism.
“What is the essence of democracy if the government fails to effectively provide security of lives and property of the Nigerian citizenry? The primary duty of the Government of the Nigerian state is to provide the welfare and security of Nigerians and global citizens' resident within the territorial entity of Nigeria”.
“We completely support the Federal Government's wise decision to seek the extension by the National Assembly of the state of emergency in the North East for another six months. But we urge the President to modify his prayer so as to declare total state of emergency as one effective strategy of seeking comprehensive defeat of the atrocities committed by the violent Islamic extremists.”
HURIWA also warned against undermining ongoing court proceedings against arrested masterminds of the murderous atrocities undertaken over the couple of years by Boko Haram because anything done by the Government to deny justice to the thousands of victims of these killings by the armed insurgents in the name of negotiation is unconstitutional, null and void.
HURIWA also stated thus; “we are by the same manner, commending the President and his federal administration for accepting the counter terrorism assistance from the State of Israel which undeniably is one of the best global anti-terrorism leaders.”
Specifically, citing deteriorating security situation in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, President Good luck Jonathan issued a proclamation extending emergency rule and requested the National Assembly to approve it in the best interest of peace and security in the affected states.