Senate to debate state of emergency on Tuesday

The Senate has set  Tuesday, May 21st,for the deliberation  on the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

Officials of both chambers had indicated that they would back the action.

Senate President, David Mark, asked his colleagues during the plenary session on Thursday to be present next week, explaining that their attendance that day would be crucial to an urgent national decision to be taken.

There were expectations by Nigerians that the National Assembly would deliberate on the emergency rule declaration before the end of plenary for the week.

However Senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, told journalists that the President was yet to transmit a letter to the Senate, announcing his  proclamation of emergency in the affected states.

Responding to a question on whether Section 305(6) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which stipulates the transmission of letter of emergency to the National Assembly as well as debate and resolution of two-third of each chamber of the legislature within two days of the proclamation, has not been violated, Senator Ndoma-Egba explained that the proclamation only takes effect from the day it is published in the official gazette.