Ahead of the expiration of the state of emergency rule imposed on three troubled north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, it has been reported that the Federal Government will today decide on the next course of action to take.
The third phase of a six-month emergency rule, which was slammed on the states as a result of the unrelenting activities of members of the Boko Haram sect, expires this Thursday.
It is rumoured in some quarters that President Goodluck Jonathan may impose “total emergency rule” on the states by appointing military administrators to run the states in lieu of the current governors.
However, a top government official, who would not want to be named, told The PUNCH on Sunday that the decision on whether to renew the emergency rule or not would be taken at a meeting of the National Defence Council to be held on Monday (today).
The source, who refused to pre-empt the outcome of the meeting, however insisted that military administrators would not be appointed for the state as it would be unconstitutional to do so.
He said: “The National Defence Council is meeting tomorrow (today). After the meeting tomorrow (today), whatever decision is taken, you will be told. We cannot pre-empt the members.
“The council will be meeting by 11am on Monday and a decision will be taken on the state of emergency in the affected states and the way forward.”
The National Defence Council is a federal executive body set up by Section 135 of the nation’s Constitution to ostensibly deliberate on issues of national security.
The government official restated that the present government would not embark on any illegality by sacking state governors under the guise of fighting insurgency, noting that any action to be taken would be within the ambit of the law.
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