November 18, 2014.
NewsRescue
By: Ibrahim Olalekan
Owing to the break embarked upon by the House of Representatives, the approval of the extension of emergency rule in three states may wait till December 3 as the House said on Tuesday that it was still on break.
The extension of the emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States by another six months was approved on Monday by the National Defence Council. President Goodluck Jonathan conveyed the decision of the council to the National Assembly, seeking its approval in compliance with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The constitution provides that two-thirds majority of each arm of the National Assembly must endorse the extension to become legal.
The Senate however met behind closed doors over the matter on Tuesday.
Mr. Zakari Mohammed, house spokesman revealed that the plenary of the House remained closed till the resumption date.
His words: “Status quo remains, meaning that we are on break till December 3. We have not received any statements or directives to the contrary.
The status quo is in place; nothing has changed. That is our position.”
Mulikat Akande-Adeola, House Majority Leader, couldn’t give an assurance on whether the House would reconvene before December 3 to consider the emergency rule extension as she replied “I don’t know.”