TheCable

The senate, for the second time, on Thursday, deferred debate on the President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for an extension of the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states for another six months.

But the house of representatives has given Jonathan the go-ahead to extend the emergency.

The senate postponed debate on the request to next Tuesday after a closed door session with the service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police and the Director General of State Security Service (SSS).

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu explained that after the closed door session, the senate resolved to continue debate on the issue on Tuesday.

Ekweremadu said that the senate would carry out wider consultations with all relevant stakeholders involved to ensure that everyone was carried along.

“The senate met with the service chiefs and we were fully briefed on the operations of the state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa over the last 12 months.

“As responsible and patriotic Nigerians, we are looking to ensure that the security in those states improved at the shortest possible time.

“We also agreed to further consult with stakeholders to ensure that everybody would buy into whatever needs be done to secure those states and to defeat insurgency in those states.

“So by Tuesday, we would continue our deliberation on the issue of the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.