Insecurity: FG mulls State of emergency in Anambra

The federal government has hinted that it may declare a state of emergency in Anambra State if circumstances indicate the November 6 governorship election is under threat.

Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the federal government would not fail to take precautions to ensure that the democratic order is kept safe and intact, adding that no possibility is ruled out, including the declaration of a state of emergency.

“When our national security is attacked and the sanctity of our constitutionally guaranteed democracy is threatened, no possibility is ruled out.

“As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure the sustenance of our democratic order. As a government, we have a responsibility to provide security to life and property.

“So, within the context of these constitutional obligations of the government or the desire to establish democratic norms and order, there is no possibility that is ruled out.

“The government will certainly do the needful in terms of ensuring that our elections are held in Anambra in terms of ensuring necessary security is provided, and in terms of ensuring protection is accorded to lives and properties.

“So, what I’m saying in essence is no possibility is ruled out by government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra holds, and you cannot out rule possibilities, inclusive of the possibility of declaration or state of emergency where it is established, in essence, that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties and democratic order.

“So, our position as a government is, if this election is going to hold, necessary security in terms of democratic order must certainly prevail.

“So, we resolved that the elections are going to hold and no possibilities are ruled out in terms of ensuring the provision of security, for the purpose of the conduct of the election, as well as Anambra is concerned,” Malami said.

Meanwhile, the state government has faulted the federal government’s move, declaring it as politically-motivated.

In an interview with Channels Television, the commissioner for information, Don Adinuba, said the recent happenings in the state do not warrant the declaration of emergency rule, adding that residents were going about their normal activities.

He said, “Nigerians are outraged by the threat of the honourable attorney-general and minister of justice of the federation, a senior advocate of Nigeria.

“Since the renewed violence in Anambra state, which we believe is politically-motivated, not more than 15 persons have been killed.

“How many people have died in Borno, Niger, Kaduna, Yobe, Zamfara? Even Imo, which is APC-controlled, and Ebonyi, (also) APC-controlled, has anybody threatened emergency rule in any of these states?

“For the past seven years, Anambra State has remained the safest state, most stable in Nigeria. We remained the only state in the country that for the past seven years, we have not experienced a single bank robbery.

“What is going on here is politically-motivated and the declaration by the attorney-general of the federation is a confirmation.

“I don’t want us to live in denial. What prompted the attorney-general of the federation to make that declaration is pure politics. There is no point being in denial,” he said.

Ohanaeze Rejects State of Emergency Says It’ll Worsen Situation

Ohanaeze however rejected the plan to impose state of emergency in Anambra State, warning that it will make the situation in the state worse.

When contacted the national publicity secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Alex Ogbonnia, said “the plan for state of emergency will worsen the problem.”

Stressing that Ohanaeze rejects the plan for state of emergency, Ogbonnia said “what is happening in some parts of the north is worse.”

He insisted that “dialogue  remains the solution.”

FG Constitutionally Empowered To Declare Emergency Rule – Lawyers

Some lawyers in the country yesterday backed the federal government on the consideration of state of emergency in Anambra State.

According g to them, imposing a state of emergency in Anambra State is a welcome development if it will guarantee peace and security of life and property.

But a socio-cultural organisation, Southern and Middle-Belt Alliance (SaMBA) rejected the suggestion, wondering why the federal government would threaten to declare a state of emergency in Anambra while ignoring the northern states of Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states where a “Festival of Killings” is ongoing.

Some of the lawyers who spoke to LEADERSHIP condemned the killings in the state.

A senior lawyer, Wilfred Abumere, said the federal government is constitutionally empowered to declare state of emergency in any part of the country and would be a welcome development if it would guarantee peace and security

He said, ”The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives the federal government the power to declare state of emergency in any part of the country. The security of lives and property of the citizen is the primary responsibility of government and if the decision will bring about peace in the state, the government should go ahead.”

Khalid Abu, a constitutional lawyer based in Kaduna, agreed with the submission of Abumere.

According to him, the government should do everything possible to bring peace back to not just Anambra State but every part of the country.

”Nothing can be too much to bring peace to the state. Moreover, the law gives the government the power to impose state of emergency in any troubled area”, he said.

LEADERSHIP reports that Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution provides for the imposition of a state of emergency in the country or any part of it. The section empowers the president to issue the declaration by way of official gazette.

It adds, however, that a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly must ratify the executive proclamation within two days, if the legislators are in session, or 10 days, if they are not.

It states: 305(1) Subject to the provisions of this 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 thereof.

(2) 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 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each of whom shall forthwith convene or arrange for a meeting of the House of which he is President or Speaker, as the case may be, to consider the situation and decide whether or not to pass a resolution approving the proclamation.

(3) The President shall have power to issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency only when: (a) the Federation is at war (b) the Federation is in imminent danger of invasion or involvement in a state of war

(c) there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security.

Anambra’s Case Does Not Suggest That  – PDP

In its reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government to perish every contemplation of imposing a state of emergency in Anambra state ahead of the November 6 governorship election.

PDP said the reported move to foist an emergency rule in Anambra state is a ploy by the APC-led government to suppress the people, manipulate the process and rig the governorship election for the APC and its candidate.

The national publicity secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, told the APC and its administration should come clean on their roles in the sudden rise in insecurity in Anambra State ahead of the election.

Ologbondiyan in a statement, said “This demand is predicated on apprehensions in the public space that the spate of insecurity in Anambra is contrived to heighten tension in the state so as to derail the democratic process to the advantage of the APC.

“The PDP insists that the federal government has the capacity to ensure peace in Anambra before, during and even after the election, if it so desired.  We therefore invite the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC federal government to be guided accordingly.

“Our party also charges the people of Anambra State to remain calm and alert as well as take steps within the ambit of the law to resist plots by the APC to derail the electoral process in its inordinate ambition to seize Anambra through the back door.”

South East Only Wants Equality, Inclusion, Says Umahi

Meanwhile, Ebonyi State governor and chairman, South East Governor’s Forum, Chief David Umahi, yesterday said that the aspiration of the people of South East is equality and inclusion in scheme of things, not a separate state of Biafra.

Governor Umahi who made the disclosure yesterday on national television said marginalisation and inequality against the region was responsible for the resurgence of the Biafra agitation, which has snowballed into killings and other security challenges being faced in the region.

According to him, “Before now, we had armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists but the state governments have been able to contain them.”

Governor Umahi said the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) came with hate speech, adding that statehood cannot be gotten through “hate speech IPOB is dishing out”.

“From hate speech, they moved to threats of killings to actual killings and formation of militant group. So that is where we are now. The people have started to ask, ‘if you are fighting to free us, why then are you killing us because we are the ones killing ourselves.’”

You Have Failed Us, Igbo Youths Fire Back At Region’s Leaders

Few hours after the meeting of South East Governors’ Forum, the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has warned of an implosion over their refusal to dialogue with the Biafra agitators in the zone.

The group also chided the federal government for giving amnesty to Boko Haram members and training them abroad while it refused to accord same treatment to pro-Biafra groups.

The national president of OYC, Comrade Igboayaka Igboayaka, in a statement he released to newsmen, yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, called on Biafra agitators to channel their grouse on south east leaders who, he said, had looted funds meant for development of the region.

Igboayaka accused South East leaders, comprising governors, federal lawmakers, ministers, federal board members, commissioners and state lawmakers, of being responsible for the cries of injustice and marginalisation by self-determination agitators in the region.

Meanwhile, the state government has faulted the federal government’s move, declaring it as politically-motivated.

In an interview with Channels Television, the commissioner for information, Don Adinuba, said the recent happenings in the state do not warrant the declaration of emergency rule, adding that residents were going about their normal activities.

He said, “Nigerians are outraged by the threat of the honourable attorney-general and minister of justice of the federation, a senior advocate of Nigeria.

“Since the renewed violence in Anambra state, which we believe is politically-motivated, not more than 15 persons have been killed.

“How many people have died in Borno, Niger, Kaduna, Yobe, Zamfara? Even Imo, which is APC-controlled, and Ebonyi, (also) APC-controlled, has anybody threatened emergency rule in any of these states?

“For the past seven years, Anambra State has remained the safest state, most stable in Nigeria. We remained the only state in the country that for the past seven years, we have not experienced a single bank robbery.

“What is going on here is politically-motivated and the declaration by the attorney-general of the federation is a confirmation.

“I don’t want us to live in denial. What prompted the attorney-general of the federation to make that declaration is pure politics. There is no point being in denial,” he said.