Nairaland Forum

Rising from a closed-door session, which lasted more than three hours, Senate maybe considering a further amendment of the 1999 Constitution to grant more executive powers to President Goodluck Jonathan to curtail the growing insecurity in Nigeria.

Besides, Senate is also pushing for enactment of very “strong legislation that would further strengthen the fight against the insurgence of Boko Haram, terrorism and general insecurity of lives and property across the country.” These were some of the resolutions of the Senate at the resumption of plenary yesterday after a two-week recess.

On Monday, Senate President, David Mark, together with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher met with Jonathan at the Presidential Villa. Reports indicated that the leaders of the three arms of the government met on the security situation in the country and reportedly reviewed the weekend bombing in Kaduna State which left scores dead and several others injured as well as displaced.

Rather than meet in plenary as is the tradition, Senate went straight into a closed session where Daily Sun gathered that the chamber was quick to shoot down any proposal that the president should declare a state of emergency in Kaduna State.

It was also gathered that the Senate refused to discuss the bribe-for-clearance scandal rocking the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy Regime which was formerly chaired by Hon. Farouk Lawan.

Furthermore, Daily Sun gathered from Senators present at the session that the chamber lamented the “porous state of our borders. Some even called on the President to close the borders but that proposal didn’t sail through.

“Most members were of the view that the porous borders may have allowed some aliens to come in and be used by Boko Haram for its activities in the country... “As soon as the President returns to the country, the Senate will interface with him on the next step in the fight against terrorism as well as present our resolutions on the state of insecurity in the country.”

Reporting progress after the closed session, at exactly 1:25pm, Senate President David Mark confirmed the closed session and that, “we discussed issues on national security and issues that border on basically the current insecurity in the country.

“We took very robust decisions that would ensure that insecurity in the country does not continue.” Thereafter, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) moved a motion that in view of the time constraint, all the items on the day’s Order Paper be stood down. Senators concurred.

Briefing newsmen after the session, Chairman of the Information, Media and Public Affairs Committee, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said the chamber met on the Kaduna crisis and that the perpetrators were aiming to ‘fester crisis in the country.

Which kind State of Emergency?

is there no state of emergency in plateau, yobe, borno etc has the bombings stoped n those places?