Emergency Rule: Senate Defers Debate

..Meets Service Chiefs Thursday
‎BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 14, (THEWILL) â€'  The Senate on Wednesday deferred debate on President Goodluck Jonathan's request for approval of an extension of the subsisting state of emergency in the three North East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe for yet another six months.

The Senate will, however, meet with the Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police, Director State Security Service, National Security Adviser and Minister of Defence behind close doors on Thursday.

The security chiefs are to brief the Senate and hand in situation report of the emergency rule in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states so far.

The debate was differed because the proclamation is yet to be gazetted and that the Senate is yet to appraise and assess the performance of the emergency rule so far in the three states

The Senate therefore moved a motion to step down the debate and meet with the Service chiefs in an executive session Thursday to get the situation report of the Emergency Rule. The debate, it was learnt, would be driven by the outcome of the briefing of the security chiefs.

Nonetheless, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided over plenary tagged the Emergency Rule debate, said as a serious issue the Senate needs to be well informed on the situation on ground to enable it take a proper position.

EMMA UCHE, ABUJA