•Senate to Jonathan: Declare total
war on sect now.
Boko Haram has installed emirs in
Gwoza and Dambua, Borno State, the
two towns that fell to the Islamist sect
two weeks ago, Senator Ali Dume told his
colleagues as Senate resumed from its
two-month recess yesterday.This is even
as the Upper Chamber urged President
Goodluck Jonathan to declare total war
on the insurgents, advising him to
mobilise all resources and efforts to that
effect.
Senator Ndume, who represents
southern Borno, told lawmakers that
Boko Haram has literally sacked two
emirs and installed their own on
Monday.
His words: “I represent southern Borno
and Gwoza. The challenges we are facing
are more serious than what we have
faced before. We, the people of southern
Borno, particularly Gwoza, parts of
Adamawa and Yobe know that it’s
presently occupied!
“I read here on the Senate Order Paper
about a threat. It’s no longer a threat;
somebody is occupying that place and
he’s declared it a caliphate!
“Yesterday, a new emir was installed by
Boko Haram in Dambua. The original
emir is taking refuge in Abuja. Boko
Haram installed a new emir in Gwoza…
Recently, we conceded the extension of
state of emergency and it was because it
could get out of hand. Can it get out of
hand more than what is happening
now?”, he asked.
Chairman of the Senate Committeeon
Investment, Nenadi Usman, pleaded with
the chamber to “look at the issue
holistically because there are internally
displaced persons in my constituency
too.
The resolution for the declaration of total
war came through a motion moved by
Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN)
and 107 senators tagged: “Threat to
national sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Nigeria by insurgents.” The
Senate resolved that the Boko Haram
challenge had risen beyond mere
insurgency to a full-scale war against the
Nigerian state. The lawmakers declared
that only a declaration of total war by
the President will offer a sustainable
solution to the menace of the sect.
Ruling on the motion, Senate President
David Mark, insisted that Nigeria must
move beyond bandying words with Boko
Haram and declare total war now.
“When Boko Haram moved from
kidnapping, killing of people and
destruction of property to occupation of
parts of Nigerian territory, it has
declared a total war on Nigeria. There is
no difference between what Boko Haram
is doing against Nigeria and what an
enemy country waging war in Nigeria
would have done.
“The issue is beyond that of mere
internal security. It is about how we
execute the war. If Boko Haram has
captured most of the parts of the country
we represent and has created a
caliphate, it means that some of the
senators from those areas can no longer
be in this chamber. This is why we must
pay urgent attention to the matter,” he
said.
Mark also noted out that the threat
posed by Boko Haram war will affect the
2015 general elections. He, however,
insisted that the issue at stake is far
beyond that of election. He said: “There
is no question of election, it is not even
on the table now. We are in a state of
war. All of us cannot carry guns to fight
but we all have roles to play in bringing
the situation to an end”.
The entire Senate leadership, chairmen
of committees that have roles to play on
national security, defence and
intelligence as well as all senators from
the three affected states of Adamawa,
Borno and Yobe are now scheduled to
meet with Mr. President and deliver the
resolutions of the Senate.
Deputy Senate President Ike
Ekweremadu seconded the motion with a
warning that there may not be elections
in Nigeria in 2015 if Boko Haram
insurgency persists. “We must make no
mistake about this; if we don’t secure
the North East, there may not be
elections in 2015. If anyone thinks
because he is from Lagos, Enugu and it
doesn’t concern him, that person is
mistaken…Democracy isn’t working in
Yobe, Adamawa and Borno states. We
must take a firm stand now.”
Meanwhile, the Upper Chamber also
resolved that the $1billion external loan
requested by the President shortly
before it embarked on long recess be
granted with accelerated approval.
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