PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013
PAGE 35
The role of State Governments is to support the security agencies and in the case of Borno and Yobe States, the Governments are not just supporting security agencies, they actually fund, doing what the federal government ought to be doing.
Section 305 says: “The Governor of a State may, with the sanction of a resolution supported by two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly, request the President to issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency in the State when there is in existence within the State any of the situations specified in subsection (3) (c), (d) and (e) In Borno State for instance, Governor Kashim Shettima of this section and such situation does not extend beyond has to the admiration of all patriotic Nigerians, been very the boundaries of the State�. responsive in handling the security challenges in the State. The Government from investigations, has provided It is important to ask, that if a Governor can be suspended over 200 brand new Hilux patrol vans to the Joint Military on account of emergency, what happens to the President Taskforce and the police command, the Government has where there is need for a declaration of emergency at consistently fuelled and maintained the vehicles, paid the centre, should there be a military head of state? The allowances to all the troops while heads of the security President can only declare an emergency (to suspend agencies have unfettered access to the Governor as the the state assembly) if it is clear to the President that a service chiefs have severally confirmed to the public Governor fails on his own duties by properly working with through the media reports. The federal government has the assembly to effectively collaborate with the federal abdicated on its responsibility by failing to finance the government to guarantee law and order. And even at that military operations, leaving Borno and Yobe States to a declaration of emergency is needed when state is groan with meagre allocations from the federation drifting into a failed one and in this case, where there is account. The Borno State Governor has rapidly paid extreme lawlessness that makes it impossible for the compensation to victims including recently adopting three executive, the state house of assembly and courts to children whose police families were killed in Bama town function. We are very much aware that all the arms of following an unfortunate carnage. The Governor has no government effectively function in Borno and Yobe States. doubt withered the storm especially if one takes into the account the series of public driven programmes and It is worthy to note that what is happening in Borno and projects taking place in all nooks and crannies all over Yobe States are not too different from states under the state which is the hallmark of progressive leadership. emergency because there are special military operations Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State has done in the states and extraordinary measures are being incredibly well also in funding security agencies in Yobe deployed by the military. Every day, the JTF claims it has launched special operations, killing x-y and recovery z. State. So, how come they do so if there is any hindrance? The We need also repeat that the President has no moral or only difference from a constitutional state of emergency constitutional basis to suspend any of the 36 seating and what is in place in Borno and Yobe is plenary being governors under the guise of declaration of a state of held by the two houses of assembly and since the military emergency, more so that the current security situation in has been able to operate in both States in the last two the northeast, arouse mainly from failures of the federal years despite the functioning of the assemblies, then government which has the sole responsibility of protecting there is simply no need for a formal declaration of emergency. If any tier of Government should be blamed lives and properties through legitimate use of police and for the current security situation, the federal government the armed forces under its total control. should squarely take the blame because Governors of the two States have provided adequate support for the The Nigerian constitution has clearly stated conditions federal government to do what it ought to exclusively do. under which an elected Governor, still serving It is important to remind the President that it is the sole constitutional tenure of office, can vacate before responsibility of the federal government to protect lives completion of four years term. The conditions are deaths, and properties of all Nigerians It is becoming clearer day impeachment, resignation, permanent incapacity and by day, that the PDP led federal government is becoming judgements of appellate courts of jurisdiction. Section increasingly intolerant of APC promoting governors and 305 that deals with declaration of state of emergency is seeking ways to take advantage all situations including does not in any way give the President Powers to but unfortunately, the current security situations in Borno suspend a seating Governor. The section empowers the and Yobe States which are strongholds of the APC, for Governor to request from the President, a declaration of political manoeuvres. The President should please state of emergency which would require a state assembly rethink this very unpopular irony. Let us also add that if suspended so that the Governor can have no recourse the President is taking these measures for political to the assembly in taking extraordinary decisions to fortunes ahead of 2015, then it is a most wrong and collaborate with security agencies to bring law and order. untimely move. 2015 is still far, to be frank.
Signed James Musa Mshelia, JP,Chairman
Ibrahim B. Tarmuwa, Secretary