Nigerian Newspapers
ACN cautions as Senate debates state of emergency Tuesday
The National Assembly will debate the Presidential declaration of state of emergency in three states on Tuesday.
Senate President David Mark told senators yesterday to make attendance of plenary on Tuesday mandatory “to enable us to deliberate and discuss a sensitive matter that will be before us.”
The House of Representatives said the President consulted the leadership of the legislature before announcing the state of emergency in the troubled states.
But the Action Congress of Nigeria (AC N) warned the lawmakers to study the proclamation carefully before endorsing it.
“Members of the federal legislature, as the true representatives of the people, must decide – purely on the basis of facts rather than sentiments – whether or not the emergency rule is the best option to resolve the Boko Haram crisis,” the party said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Section 305 (6) (a) and (b) of the Constitution (as amended) states that “A proclamation issued by the President under this Section shall cease to have effect (a) “If it is revoked by the President by instrument published in the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation.
(b) “If it affects the federation or any part thereof and within two days when the National Assembly is in session, within ten days when the National Assembly is not in session, after its publication, there is no resolution supported by two-thirds majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly approving the proclamation.”
Most Nigerians who gathered in the Senate gallery with the hope that debate on the proclamation of emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States would be taken were disappointed.
Senate President David Mark did not specifically mention declaration of state of emergency in the three northeast states, many believed that approval of the presidential proclamation of state of emergency will likely be the “sensitive matter.”
While praying Senators “those who are here and those who are not here to be in the chamber on Tuesday May 21,” Mark also referred to the need for the Senate to form a quorum “for us to deliberate on a sensitive matter.”
Only 54 Senators were observed in the chamber yesterday.
Senate Clerk, Benedict Efeturi, in a statement informed Senators that Senate plenary on Tuesday, May 21st ‘will consider matters of urgent national importance.
He urged all Senators to endeavour to attend “this crucial session of the Senate.”
Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba dismissed insinuations of constitutional crisis over the state of emergency proclamation as unfounded.
Ndoma-Egba explained that the counting of number of days begins after the proclamation has been published and gazetted.
He said the constitution did not specify when the President should publish and gazette the proclamation.
He added that some Nigerians erroneously believe that state of emergency follows a broadcast.
For the Senate Leader, the constitution does not recognise broadcast as a means of declaration of state of emergency.
Ndoma-Egba said as far as the Senate was concerned, the President has not declared any state of emergency.
What the President did, he said, was merely to communicate to Nigerians his intention to declare a state of emergency in some states.
He said that the President has only conveyed to Nigerians his intention and no more.
Ndoma-Egba said that state of emergency would be declared when the proclamation is published and gazetted in the Official Gazzete of the Government of the Federation. He said though troops were reported to have been moved to certain areas, nobody can say exactly where the troops were been deployed. He added that if there is threat to national security, the President is under obligation to deploy troops.
He said, “There is no where in the constitution where the President is given time limit to publish the gazette within a specific time.
“The constitution did not say that the President must publish the gazette within 24 hours, 48 or 72 hours.
“So whenever the President publishes the gazette, then the two days or ten days as applicable begins to run.
“For the purposes of the constitution, it is not a broadcast that proclaims a state of emergency.
“It is the instrument published in the gazette.”
Deputy House Spokesman, Victor Ogene, said the President has not violated the Constitution on the details of the state of emergency that was yet to get to the lawmakers.
“ Even though the communication expected from Mr President is yet to get to the House, as representatives of the people who are equal stakeholders in the Nigerian project and desirous of the peaceful coexistence of every Nigerian in any part of the federation. We are equally as concerned as any other Nigerian,” he said.
He said: “ if you read the constitution, it says that two days upon the President’s being gazetted. So, the issue really is whether it has been gazetted, that is what the constitution says. It stipulated that two days upon the pronouncement being gazetted when the House is in session, the communication ought to get to the National Assembly.
Besides, the National Assembly was not unaware of the President’s action on the three states, he said, adding, “ We are aware that the President, before the declaration did interface with the leadership of the National Assembly, and I can tell you that the input of the National Assembly has led to the management of the situation such that we do not have a complete state of emergency that would have swept away democratic structures in the concerned states as we had in the past.
“As the bastion of democracy, the National Assembly is always desirous of maintaining and sustaining all democratic ethos which was why the leadership of the National Assembly did suggest that why we would support a return to normalcy using the mechanism of the state of emergency, it will not be right and it will send wrong messages if democratic structures such as the governor and Houses of Assembly were to go.”
The ACN said the Jonathan Administration, realising the groundswell of opposition that will be triggered if the governors and the Houses of Assembly members were sacked, decided to pull the wool over the eyes of unsuspecting Nigerians by leaving the elected officials in place even under the emergency rule.
‘’In practice, it was a monumental deception. First, the democratic structures left in place are of no use in a state under martial law; Secondly, the proclamation did not give a time frame, meaning that the emergency rule is open-ended and can last as long as the President wishes. After all, the emergency rule imposed on 15 local councils in four states was never lifted. Thirdly, now that the President has tested the waters and realised people could be so easily hoodwinked, what prevents him from extending the emergency rule to other states that catch his fancy?
‘’Truly, leaving the governors and the state legislatures in place has made it easier for Nigerians to accept the imposition.
But the truth is that the state chief executives and the legislatures have no role to play under the new system in place in the states.
‘’Essentially, there are two governments in place in each of the affected states, the de facto one headed by the military commander and the de jure one headed by the elected Governor. Real power resides in the de facto government, and the de jure government is just there in name. The Governors and the members of assembly are on holiday!
‘’What are the powers of the Governors and the state legislature now?
Who has the power to order a search, an arrest, confiscation of property and lock-up of premises? Can the Governors move around freely, commission or inspect a project without the tacit approval of the military commander? Which is superior: the proclamation by the military commander or the law made by the state legislature? What happens if the military commanders order that the State House of Assembly be locked up for allegedly harbouring suspected Boko Haram members? These are some of the questions that should be asked before this proclamation is allowed to stand,’’ the party said.
The ACN said its rejection of the imposition of emergency rule was also based on the fact that it brings nothing new to the table – beyond the use of brute force and the infringement on the constitutional rights of innocent citizens – in the search for a sustainable solution to the Boko Haram crisis.
It reiterated its earlier statement that the use of minimal force must be complemented with genuine dialogue in the short term, while in the long term good governance that delivers the dividends of democracy, including jobs for the teeming unemployed youths, will help deny Boko Haram the fertile ground for recruiting ready hands to perpetrate violence.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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