BY OKEY NDIRIBE
The House of Representatives is expected to follow its populist inclinations today when it considers the proclamation on the state of emergency in the three states of the Northeast.
The proclamation by President Goodluck Jonathan formally declaring a state of emergency across three states in the North-Eastern part of the country would be debated by the legislators today.
Today’s debate would be in fulfillment of section 305 of the amended 1999 Constitution which provides that the President must inform the National Assembly about his decision not later than two days after it had been published in a Federal Government gazette.
In anticipation of the letter the leadership of the House of Representatives had refrained from listing the issue on the order paper during plenary sessions which held between Tuesday and Thursday last week.
Members had also followed the hint of the leadership by refusing to raise the development under “matters of urgent public importance.”
House of Representatives members and the President Goodluck Jonathan
Periods of normalcy
Indeed, the plenary session last Tuesday was a departure from the past as no single member raised any issue under that sub-head contrary to the tradition of the House during periods of normalcy. Another strange dimension which has unfolded since emergency rule was declared in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states is that many lawmakers have become tight-lipped over the situation.
Many of them have so far refused to comment on the development. It was gathered that among many legislators from the Northern part of the country, the fear of Boko Haram is the beginning of wisdom.
A certain lawmaker from Jigawa State who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity appealed that “the press should no longer seek for my opinion on this matter.”
He continued: “You should know I am from the North and if I say what they don’t like, they could come after me”. That indeed has been the attitude of several members from the North who have shied away from commenting on the development. These notwithstanding, multi sources have confirmed that President Jonathan’s proclamation had the backing of the National Assembly leadership.
Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs Hon. Afam Ogene said as much while briefing journalists on the activities of the House last Friday.
“The President consulted with the leadership of the National Assembly before he declared the state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. It was due to the input of the leadership of the National Assembly that the democratically elected state structures of government which include the offices of state governors and the various Houses of Assembly were not sacked,” Ogene said.
“One thing that has been realised within this period is the need for cooperation between different arms of government.” He said the President had not yet breached the constitution.
He further stated that the executive and legislative arms of the Federal Government were working together to ensure that government runs smoothly despite whatever differences we may have.
Hon. Ogene further stated that the National Assembly had been very concerned about the security situation in the country recalling that the House had invited President Jonathan for briefing about the situation since last year adding that the Senate invited the nation’s security chiefs for the same purpose sometime ago.
Watchers of the National Assembly believe that the endorsement given President Jonathan’s action by the leadership of the federal legislature may be an indication of the outcome of today’s deliberations in both the red and green chambers.
In addition to this, members of the Lower House who have already built a tradition for adopting populist positions on major national issues are likely to continue along that line. And the general feeling amongst Nigerians is that “enough is enough”.
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