THE Senate, yesterday, canvassed tougher and full scale measures
to end the Boko Haram insurgency. It said that the sect has
declared war on Nigeria.
The senators, who resumed from their two-month vacation,
expressed dissatisfaction with how the war was being prosecuted
and mandated the Senate leadership to meet with President
Goodluck Jonathan and service chiefs to hammer out better
strategies to checkmate the insurgents.

Senator Mark, in his welcome speech said actions of the Boko
Haram sect are a complete declaration of war geared towards
undermining the nation’s sovereignty.
Meantime, the Senate has referred President Jonathan’s $1 billion
loan request to fight insurgency to its committees on Foreign,
Finance, and Local Debt to report back within one week.
Senator Mark in his speech also said the Senate was waiting for
Mr. President’s action on the report of the just concluded National
Conference which was convoked to discuss and suggest ways of
resolving perceived structural defects in the polity.
The Senate President further tasked the President to ensure the
2015 Appropriation Bill gets to the legislative chamber before the
end of the month to enable the lawmakers pass it into law before
January 2015.

He noted that the escalation of violence and the heinous crimes
being carried out on daily basis by the insurgents including the
declaration of a caliphate had reached alarming proportions.

Meeting president, service chiefs
Dissatisfied with the strategy being adopted in prosecuting the war
against the terrorists, the Senate in a resolution sequel to the
motion sponsored by Senate Leader, Chief Victor Ndoma-Egba,
SAN, and 107 other senators, had after critically examining the
ongoing onslaught against the people of the North-East by Boko
Haram, mandated the Senate President to meet with President
Jonathan to discus better tactics on how to tackle the insurgency.
In the motion tagged: Threat to National Sovereignty and
Territorial integrity of Nigeria by insurgents, the senators expressed
worry that the security situation in the North East states of Borno,
Yobe and Adamawa had continued to deteriorate despite the
imposition of state of emergency in the said states.
The Senate had equally observed that in the last two months while
the National Assembly was on its annual recess, the nation
witnessed unabated loss of lives and damage to property in what it
noted was increasingly challenging the security agencies in the
affected states.
The Senate expressed concern that the insurgents purportedly
carved out some local government areas in Borno and Adamawa
states and declared same as Caliphate under their control just as it
expressed concern that the level of regrouping of the insurgence
was becoming alarming.
The Senate President, while reacting to the concern of senators
said: “We have to find a solution to it, back the military, mobilize
as much as we can, bring back all our war resources together so
that we can prosecute this war. There is no way in which we are
just going to say that this is exclusively to one section of this
country. No, and I don’t think that is the thinking in any quarter.

“Unfortunately, we are not satisfied with the way the war has been
prosecuted so far. We want a better strategy, we want a very
concise, very precise statement that can give directions on how we
are going to prosecute this war and end it as quickly as possible.
“It is not the question of election. Election is not even on the table
now. So I agree that what is happening now is a challenge even to
our legitimacy in this chamber because if they have gone far by
saying that they have declared a caliphate, then any senator or
member who is from there is no more entitled to be in this
chamber.
“And these people can forcefully begin to take some people out of
this chamber, and then the legitimacy of our own existence here is
seriously challenged. There are so many issues that will arise as a
result of what Boko Haram is doing. It started like a joke but it has
gone far beyond that now.
“All of us here cannot go and wear uniform and take rifle and fight.
It is the Armed Forces that are going to do the fighting for us but
all of us here have roles to play in executing this war. Let me say
without any doubt at all, that the nation is at war, that is the
issue. So it is not about whether it is Boko Haram or not Boko
Haram. There is no difference between the situation in the North
East now and if any other country had declared war on Nigeria.
“My suggestion here is: How do we prosecute this war because
there is a real war for us, whether it is on one section of the
country or it’s covering the whole country. So, once a nation is at
war, the entire nation will have to move all its resources and war
efforts, whether it is refugee, whether it is medical or anything at
all.
“So, indeed, there is no doubt in my mind that what the Boko
Haram is doing now is that they have declared war on Nigerians. It
is true we didn’t recall the Senate but you are aware that we
directed the Senate Committee on Defence to meet with Service
Chiefs when we were on recess so that we can get a proper
briefing.
“We have a dilemma on our hands here because there is a limit to
what we can say here in plenary and what we can discuss in a
closed-door session. So, we have to be a bit careful.”

http://omojuwa.com/2014/09/boko-haram-nigerians-are-frustrated-helpless-angry-senate-asks-mark-tell-president-jonathan/

Indeed, Nigerians are frustrated and angry with the way things are going in the country.
There needs to be a strategic way to put an abrupt end to all these issues, as strange stories continue to pop up daily.

I hope the president is proactive in his actions and take decisive steps to curb the menace of insecurity.
As mark rightly said:
" This is not about elections but about our safety, security, and sovereignty as a nation ".

I pray he listens to the senators and do the needful.

Which senator's? Are they not leaders sorry ruler's in thesame dispensation Are they not the decision makers and the co-sharers? They are even the corrupt ones not the president, so they had better shut up.

ShehuAba:
The senators, who resumed from their two-month vacation,
expressed dissatisfaction with how the war was being prosecuted

http://omojuwa.com/2014/09/boko-haram-nigerians-are-frustrated-helpless-angry-senate-asks-mark-tell-president-jonathan/

Two months vacation?! In a country at war, where unemployment is through the roof and there's no electricity?!

Roflmao Nigerians deserve the leaders they get.

Hiss

They do not stop their corruption and bad governance but they want bokos to stop.

Na God go punish all of your on my behalf!!!!.

Why not remove all these huge salaries of yours??

Mumu people

Right on Spot. But there is nothing more to expect from a Fail Administration.

Am not suprised.

ISpiksDaTroof: Two months vacation?! In a country at war, where unemployment is through the roof and there's no electricity?!

Roflmao Nigerians deserve the leaders they get.

Honestly the Nigerian parliament is a disgrace!!
Most of those lawmakers don't even know the reason they are there.

The other day, after checking one senator into the most expensive suite in one of the most expensive hotels in Delta state, the fuckward was not satisfied!! When I tried to explain things to him and pacify him, crook yelled: is it your money??!!! I felt so disgusted!! Some of these men are nothing better than agberos in bus parks!!

Actually the senators have also not been helping matters, but on this call on Mr president, they are really spot on.

ShehuAba: Actually the senators have also not been helping matters, but on this call on Mr president, they are really spot on.

They are not.
They are just acting like the president Ie talk, talk, talk and talk with no action.
If the president cannot prosecute Ihejrika and SAS, why cant they start a probe. And charge them base on their report.

Dear Inanimate Senators,

You have the purse, oversight authorities and power to initiate impeachment or. summon the President through his Ministers, Directors of Parastattals, Institutions of government and heads of various agencies.

Initiate some people oriented policy directions, pass them into law, overwrite the presidential veto as the 4th NASS did on law to establish and fund Niger Delta Development Commission.

Poor Redundant (s)elected politicians going on two months recess.

The worst Legislative Government after that of Zimbabwe. Toothless Bulldogs.