Insurgency: Declare a state of emergency in 3 states, Clark tells Buhari

ELDER statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a total state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States to finally bring the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the areas to an end.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, he accused the governors of the affected states of remaining aloof as terrorists continued to hold sway in their territories.

According to him,  “the governors of Borno and Yobe states in particular are no doubt frustrating the effort of the federal government in bringing this unfortunate war to an end because of their selfishness and what they stand to gain from it, a situation whereby the federal government is made to account for all the expenses and happenings in the North East, where the state government had made it difficult for the Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) to live an ideal life both in the camp and in their homes caused by ineffectiveness about the administration and lack of focus of the state government who wrongly believed that the Boko Haram is a federal government affair.”

Citing precedence and recalling that he had made a similar demand during the last administration, he advised that the president could resort to the principle of “doctrine of necessity” to impose a complete state of emergency in the three states.

He said: “The political dimension of the fight against the insurgent has not been adequately considered, yet this is the point of the fear in the containment fabric.

“The governors of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to Nigerians, and interested observers, are criminally aloof, and distant from a situation that is, primarily, their responsibility in each one’s respective state where he is the Chief security officer, and behaving like any other governors in Nigeria.

“It is in the light of this obvious, gross dereliction of constitutional duty of these civilian governors that I am here, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately declare a state of emergency in each of those states.

“In an emergency situation, which is total, and in which the civilian administration is completely neutralised for a period of six months, a sole administrator is more likely to take a very pragmatic military view and strategy against those tormenting his territory; and will be assimilated and fully involved in the military operation.

“Above all, I recommend this drastic action because the people of those states need immediate succour, and peace, to return to normalcy that will enable them to participate as integral parts of the Nigerian nation.

“It must be made clear that the war cannot be completely won with the civilian state government and military operating side by side.

“There is too many distractions and too much politicking, accusation and counter accusations.

“Is it not disgraceful and irresponsible of the state government of Yobe to pass the buck on the military for withdrawing roadblocks earlier allegedly mounted by the military?

“Is it why he carelessly made a statement which he later apologised for? Is that the excuse he will give to his people who have been abandoned by him and who are now physically attacked him and his convoy when he visited the community because they have lost confidence in him?

“The people of Dapchi and Yobe indigenes know fully well that it was due to dereliction of duty on the part of their governor that led to the abduction of the girls barely four years after the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in April 14th, 2014.”

Clark maintained that the declaration of a full-scale state of emergency was only the way to defeat the insurgents and save the country from the present embarrassment it had been subjected to.

“A state of emergency will definitely create a very conducive atmosphere for the military to act on their own, particularly, a sole administrator who also must be a very senior military officer, and I can assure Mr President that within the next six months Boko Haram will be given a final burial,” he argued.

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On the doctrine of necessity as a basis for the declaration of state of emergency, the one time Federal Commissioner of Information, said: “It should be borne in mind that the doctrine of necessity is a widely accepted theory that enables both the Executive and Legislative Arms of Government to in some circumstances, take action that would ordinarily be unlawful.”

He also regretted that despite assurances that Boko Haram had been degraded, the terrorists were still able to operate unhindered with the latest being the abduction of 110 school girls in Dapchi, Yobe state.

While calling for support for President Buhari, he congratulated the armed forces for their efforts in tackling the insurgency in the country so far.