Jonathan decides on emergency rule in Borno, others 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.