How NASS saved Adamawa, Borno, Yobe govs – Reps

[PeoplesDaily]

By Lawrence Olaoye

The House of Representatives yesterday disclosed that it was the intervention of the National Assembly that saved the jobs of the governors of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. Briefing newsmen on what transpired between the Presidency and the legislature before President Goodluck Jonathan's pronouncement on a state of emergency in the three states, Deputy Chairman, House committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep Victor Oghene, said the declaration of state of emergency was not exclusively done by the President but with the input of the leadership of the National Assembly (Nass).

Oghene disclosed that it was the idea of the leadership of the NASS that the whole democratic structures in the states affected by the emergency rule be not collapsed. the intervention of the NASS leadership that preserved the jobs of governors Murtala Nyako, Ibrahim Gaidam and Kashim Shettima of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe respectively.

According to him, the NASS leadership impressed it upon the President that it would send a negative signal if the affected governors and other democratic structures in the state are sent packing.

"Oghene maintained that the spate of insecurity in the country has been worrisome to the House necessitating the summon it issued for the President to appear before it in June last year. He added that the invitation extended to Service Chiefs by the Senate also confirmed the fact that the security situation in the affected states was unacceptable.

He also stressed that the cooperation between the Legislature and the Executive that culminated in the declaration of the state of emergency should be encouraged to blossom so that the three organs of government would be working harmoniously towards the development of the country.

Responding to a question as to whether the President has not breached the constitution by not officially writing to the Nass informing it about the emergency close to the constitutional 48hrs allowed by the constitution, clarified that Jonathan, by virtue of the provision of the constitution is bound by the provision only after the pronouncement would have been gazetted.

According to him, the President has not broken any law by not writing the National Assembly informing it of the proclamation as at now because the proclamation has yet to be gazetted.

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