Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Okey Wali, SAN, yesterday berated the comments made by some northern senators and opposition politicians attacking the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.
Dickson alleged that the opposition politicians were playing politics with the issue of national unity and security, while the NBA boss said the association had accepted the reasons given by Jonathan on the emergency, just as he advocated for a rule of engagement to be adopted by the security agencies.
The governor and NBA President spoke yesterday in Yenagoa at the opening ceremony of the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the association.
Dickson regretted the array of criticisms trailing the declaration of the state of emergency in the three states and described such criticisms as unfortunate.
He went on: "The Bar should be appreciated for its firm disposition even at a time politicians seem to be equivocating and playing politics with the issue as sensitive as a threat to our sovereignty and our national co-existence in this country.
"All over the world, when there is a major assault on the sovereignty of a nation, political leaders come together in spite of their differences.
"But, it is very sad in this country that political leaders, rather than come together and support a legitimate authority to take a decision to cut down terrorism and safeguard our liberty and freedom, they play politics with such issues.
"On the one hand, they said he should declare a state of emergency, on the other hand, when he declared it, they said no. You should have sacked the governors. It is not far-reaching enough. Yet, others say the declaration is targeted at some people.
"These people forget that in this battle of terrorism, terrorist don't care where you come from. They probably don't care about where you come from, your religion and ethnicity. The statistics are there."
National Mirror
Goodluck Jonathan has so many critics that's one thing I can be very sure of. He has just has to keep doing what he is doing.