The House of Representatives, yesterday, after its fracas with security operatives, declined President Jonathan’s request for an extension of emergency rule in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
Instead, the lawmakers said President Jonathan could invoke the powers granted him by the constitution to deploy troops to any trouble zone.
The lawmakers, who were obviously aggrieved, said they decided to set aside the request for another extension of the emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States because the previous three extensions they approved didn’t address the security breaches in the area, advising the president to exercise his prerogative as provided by Section 8 of the Armed Forces Act, which grants him the power to deploy troops to areas of conflicts.
According to the House chairman on Media and Publicity, Hon. Zakari Mohammed (APC, Kwara), the House did not extend the emergency rule as they “thought that the State of Emergency is not yielding any result.”
The Reps. reached the consensus to refer the president to the relevant provisions of the constitution following a motion moved by the Deputy Majority Leader, Leo Ogor. “Sections 13, 14, 217 (2) and 218 are ancillary to the forte upon which Ogor moved his motion,” Mohammed explained.
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