Military option not enough – Gaidam
By Ezrel Tabiowo
Abuja
Following Tuesday’s postponement of debate on President Jonathan’s request for further extension of the State of Emergency declared on Adamawa, Borno and Yobes states, the Senate debate yesterday on the matter ended in deadlock just as the upper chamber summoned the nation’s service chiefs to appear before it today during plenary to render professional insight into the ongoing fight to tackle insurgency in the affected states.
The decision, which was announced by the Senate President, Senator David Mark, was reached yesterday after another round of closed session which lasted two hours and thirty minutes, wherein the president’s request, which generated mixed feelings during Tuesday’s plenary, was considered.
Though debate on the extension request was again deferred till today, the briefing by the service chiefs, Blueprint gathered, is critical and central to whether the president’s request is approved or rejected by the senate.
Those expected to brief the upper chamber during today’s session on military operations in the North-east include the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kenneth Minimah, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeola Amosu.
Speaking to newsmen immediately after plenary, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North), who kicked vehemently against the president’s extension request, explained that a further extension of emergency in the North-east was not the solution to sacking Boko Haram.
He, therefore, called on the federal government to explore alternative measures towards tackling insurgency in the region.
He said: “The truth is that we have accepted in the past to pass the state of emergency and granted two requests of extension. For 18 months, the extension and the operations did not work for us and we believe that there is no point to continue to go through the same path, the same process and the same system.
“Could the president, under section 2018 not use the military to fight insurgency in the North-east? Was it not done in the Niger Delta? When insurgency was taking place in the Niger Delta, was there state of emergency in the Niger Delta before the operations of the military were undertaken?
“I believe that we could do without the tate of emergency in the North-east too, but we have to get our priorities right, we have to get our tactics and strategies right. We haven’t succeeded in the last 18 months and I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that this time around, it would not make any difference.”
Also, the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Enyinaya Abaribe, while briefing journalists on what transpired during the closed session said: “The Senate, on Wednesday, the 19th of November, went into another closed-door session to consider the request of Mr. President for an extension of the state of emergency in the three states that will elapse, maybe, by tomorrow.
“The discussion, like we had earlier said, was very frank, robust and, sometimes, very acrimonious, which is usual, in political discussion. And we agreed, as a Senate, that the discussion will continue tomorrow. And also for the purposes of having further information, invite the service chiefs to be available tomorrow to also brief us on the efforts that have been ongoing in the past six months when the emergency was declared.”
He also expressed the hope that the Senate will take a decision today in the interest of the nation.
“I think senators are very well aware of the fact that they are here, voted in by their people to make sure that whatever decision they take would be in the interest of Nigeria and has nothing to do with pecuniary benefits.”
Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe state yesterday questioned the rationale for extending the emergency rule in his state and two others by the federal government, pointing out that emergency rule has so far failed to roll back and contain the insurgency by Boko Haram.
“Only ten days ago, our very young students, full of hope for the future at Government Science Technical College (GSTC), Potiskum, were killed in a very evil and grotesque manner,” he said. “And there were many others before them in four schools across our state and in communities across the affected states.”
In a press release yesterday, Abdullah Bego, the Special Adviser on Press Affairs and Information to Governor Gaidam, said even though the governor believes that the presence of military troops on the ground is absolutely necessary, “but not sufficient to take the war to the insurgents and to defeat them.”
“There are other vital ingredients which must feature now if the current extension is to enjoy any success at all,” he said.
“One of these, Governor Gaidam believes and has voiced out on many occasions before, is the absolute need to provide every weaponry and military gear that the hard working troops on the ground need. From Afghanistan to Somalia, terrorists and insurgents are defeated or forced into hiding only through the use of advanced weaponry.
“His Excellency the governor has said before – and it bears repeating now – that the federal government also needs to adopt or build on an approach that addresses ongoing security challenges from the bottom up. That means actively partnering with local communities and community leaders to get them to enrol more actively in the fight to restore peace and security.
“His Excellency Governor Gaidam believes that the federal government can do this by providing more support to affected and distraught communities than is currently the case. With more support to people who have been displaced or who have lost limbs, livelihoods or loved ones to the criminal activities of the insurgents, it’s more likely that people will participate more actively going forward.”
Bego said the governor believes also that the federal government should invest more in education and infrastructure in the North-east as a special measure to help people recover.
He said: “There is no question that the affected states are doing their best in so many ways under very difficult circumstances but the federal government can help accelerate the process by intervening in road construction, rebuilding and re-equipping of schools, and by setting up regional skills hubs where young people and women would get the training they need to support themselves and their families.
“Given the overwhelming presence of insurgents in border areas, Governor Gaidam also believes that the federal government should take multilateral relationship with the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon to a new level by getting them to more actively support our fight for peace and security.
“The governor is of the opinion that when pursued with more energy, these and other measures have the potential to help us defeat all the criminals and insurgents out there who are bent on destroying us all.”