Senate okays emergency rule extension in Borno, others

The Senate on Thursday okayed  the extension of the State of Emergency imposed on Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states by President Goodluck Jonathan since May this year.

Jonathan in a letter to the  Senate on Wednesday asked for the approval of the upper legislative chamber to extend   the emergency rule in the three volatile states in the northeast Nigeria  by additional six months.

He said that though significant progress had been made in the fight terror activists of the Islamist group Boko Haram there was the need to sustain the fight   because members of the violent Islamic sect were still causing havoc in the affected states.

The decision to extend the emergency rule was taken by the Senate during a closed-door session that last for about one hour.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, presided over session where the decision.

Senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma - Egba, who moved the motion for the extension, recalled that the Senate passed a resolution on May 21, 2013, backing the declaration of emergency rule in the affected states, to curb insurgency and restore peace in the areas.

Ndoma - Egba noted that though 'commendable progress had been recorded in the three affected states, more time is required to restore full and lasting peace to the areas.'

He therefore asked the senators to approve the extension of the emergency rule on the same terms and conditions as earlier approved and gazetted.

Meanwhile, Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako had on Wednesday opposed the extension of the emergency rule in his state, saying the situation in the state did not warrant it.

Nyako said the extension of emergency rule in his state was politically-motivated.