State of Emergency: Nyako, Geidam blast Akpabio, Clark

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Governors of Adamawa and Yobe, Murtala Nyako and Ibrahim Geidam have blasted the Governor of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio and Ijaw Elder Statesman, Chief Edwin Clark over comments calling for an extension for the State of Emergency in their respective states including Borno. They also lambasted the duo for calling on President Jonathan to sack them and replace them with a ‘sole administrator’ om their respective states.

The North Eastern Governors in a joint press statement said, “Their Excellencies, Governors Gaidam and Nyako and indeed all right-thinking Nigerians consider these comments as unthoughtful, provocative, diversionary, totally out of sync with democratic norms and values and unfortunate.

“The phrase ‘sole administrator’, as noted by many commentators, is a ‘constitutional aberration which cannot be found, even impliedly, in any of the 320 sections of the 1999 Constitution’. Mr. Clark’s comments (and indeed Mr. Akpabio’s) therefore smack of fascism and are clearly a veiled attempt at sabotaging our nation’s democracy which should be resisted by all and sundry.”

“Curiously, both Clark and Akpabio are beneficiaries of constitutionalism and democracy in Nigeria. It is therefore mind-boggling that the two would seek to put both constitutionalism and democracy in jeopardy on the altar of their personal interests,” the statement read.

It said, “Mr. Clark made a very serious analytical faux pas when he tried to liken the security situation in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states to the situation in Ekiti State when an emergency rule was declared in that state during a previous administration. The situation between now and then could not have been more different.

“As a former senator, Mr. Clark would ordinarily be assumed to understand the meaning of the provisions of section 305 of the 1999 Constitution which gives the President the power to declare a state of emergency in all or parts of the country. One would also assume that Mr. Clark would know that a state of emergency is also not exclusively applicable to security issues.”

“That Mr. Clark would gladly and blindly ignore overriding legal opinion and historical contexts and suggest something that goes against the letter and spirit of our Constitution as a democratic nation go to show that not only is he not wishing Mr. President well, he in fact is bent on scuttling our democracy apparently in pursuit of totally parochial, ethnic and political agenda.”

“First, the governors of the affected states were democratically elected as governors by millions of people in their respective states. Currently, they represent and are serving more than ten million people.

“Second, the security crisis in the three north-eastern states is widely seen and believed to be criminal and insurgent rather than religious or political. It has never led to a breakdown in governance in the three states or resulted in dangerous power struggle among politicians.”

“Third, the governors have always responded by doing what needed to be done to protect the lives and property of the people by supporting the security agencies on the ground morally, financially and logistically even though the ongoing state of emergency means that they do not have control over security operations.”

“They have also led a very serious effort at mobilising the populations of their states to support the ongoing security effort and to pray fervently to God in mosques, churches and homes. Military commanders and security chiefs on the ground in the states can testify to this. Given that the maintenance and promotion of security is a collective responsibility, the governors deserve commendation for what they have done and continue to do rather than the kind of contempt and disrespect shown by people such as Mr. Edwin Clark, who have no proper and reasonable understanding of the issues at stake.”

“Mr. Clark also demonstrated crass ignorance and insensitivity to the plight of the people in the north-east by suggesting that somehow the missing Chibok schoolgirls would not have been kidnapped if Borno State had been under a ‘total state of emergency’. Is Mr. Clark not aware that over the past 12 months, there was all manner of security presence in the three states when we witnessed some of the most heinous and despicable terrorist attacks on our schools in Mamudo, Buni Yadi and Gujba and on our towns and villages from Izge to Baga?”

“Clearly, Mr. Clark does not appear concerned about the difficulties that our people go through daily as a result of the prevailing security situation even as people in the three affected states have continued to demonstrate commendable levels of support and partnership with the security agents on the ground,” they insisted.

The statement further stated, “Governors Gaidam and Nyako therefore reject and condemn the anti-democratic sentiments expressed by Mr. Edwin Clark. The governors call on Mr. Clark, now in his 80s, to use his age and experience to contribute to the peace and unity of the nation rather than stoking tensions and preaching division and disunity.”

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