The Senate will today decide on the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
It will read the letter of President Jonathan asking it to approve the declaration of state of emergency in the three states after all efforts to stem activities of terrorists in the states and take a decision either to approve or reject the declaration.
Jonathan had Tuesday night in a nationwide broadcast announced state of emergency in the three states, saying government was determined to put an end to the spate of killings.
Though Jonathan said in the broadcast that he would transmit a letter to the National Assembly on the details of the state of emergency, sources disclosed that government was waiting to first publish the proclamation in the official gazette in accordance with the 1999 constitution as amended.
Section 305, sub-section 2 states, “Subject to the provision of the constitution, the president may by instrument published in the official gazette of the government of the federation issue a proclamation of a state of emergency in the federation or any part of thereof”.
Sub-section 2 of the section states, “The president shall immediately after the publication, transmit copies of the official gazette of the government of the federation containing the proclamation including the details of the emergency to the president of the Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives, each of who shall convene a meeting to consider the situation and decide whether or not to pass a resolution approving the proclamation”.
Senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, admitted yesterday that the Senate was expecting the letter from President Jonathan today but said “it shall be treated on its merit”.
The Senate is expected to go into an executive session today before the whole House debates and decides on whether to approve the proclamation or not.
TUNJI OLAWUNI, Abuja
