Emergency Rule: Jonathan to decide today.

The Federal Government’s next line of action on
Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states at the
expiration of the emergency rule imposed on the
three north-eastern states will be decided on
Monday (today), investigation by The PUNCH
has revealed.

The third tranche of six-month emergency rule
imposed on the states following the continued
activities of members of the Boko Haram sect
expires on Thursday.

There have been speculations that President
Goodluck Jonathan may impose “total emergency
rule” on the states by appointing military
administrators to take over from the state
governors.

A top government official, who pleaded
anonymity, however, 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 holding
on Monday (today).

Although he said he would not preempt the
outcome of the meeting, the government source
however insisted that military administrators
would not be appointed for the state, saying 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 preempt 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 Council is one of the federal executive
bodies established by Section 135 of the
nation’s Constitution.

The source added that the current government
would not embark on any illegality by sacking
state governors under the guise of fighting
insurgency.

He said all that would be done would be under
the ambit of the law.

It will be recalled that Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben
Abati, had told Sunday PUNCH in September that
Jonathan was not contemplating replacing
governors of the three states currently under
emergency rule with military administrators
because he had no power under the nation’s
constitution to do so.

Abati disclosed this in an exclusive interview with
Sunday PUNCH .

Abati had in that exclusive interview said the
people clamouring for the removal of sitting
governors in the affected states were doing so in
error.

He said such people should be referred to the
relevant section of the constitution that deals
with the state of emergency, adding that there is
nowhere in the section where the President was
given such a power.

- Punch