Some indigenes of Adamawa State have condemned appeals made by Governor Bala James Ngillari over calls for National Assembly to extend the Emergency Rule in the state as proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Reports indicated that the Governor has called on the National Assembly to extend the Emergency Rule while interacting with newsmen in Abuja.
While condemning the call, a resident of Yola Dr. Umar Duhu said the call by the governor was selfish, unilateral and does not in any way reflects the demands of the people of the state.
He said from the reactions of ordinary people on the street, the Emergency Rule is most undesirable as it has only inflicted more hardship instead of doing any good to the people of the state.
Duhu noted that with the pulse in Adamawa, he believes that no Adamawa legislature will ever support the move as it is obverse to the wishes of the electorates who sent them to the National Assembly.
He noted that by the statement, Ngillari’s was just trying to be a good boy in pleasing the Presidency which is unfortunate as the governor should be doing the bidding of the people not that of the Presidency.
Duhu maintained that the primary motive behind the call for the extension of the Emergency Rule was meant to postpone the 2015 general election otherwise it was glaring that there was no need for its extension in view of the fact that for the 18 months that the Emergency Rule lasted the security challenges in the state only worsened.
“Before the Emergency Rule was imposed, the home town of Ngillari was in Nigeria but after it was imposed, his hometown has been overrun by the insurgents then what justification has he in calling for its extension?” Duhu queried.
Another indigene of the state, Dr. Umar Ardo equally condemned the call saying that “I opposed it, it was needleless and we can achieve what we want to achieve without it,”.
He said right from the onset he had never supported the imposition of the Emergency Rule in the state as he said it will only led to the infringement of fundamental rights of the citizens.
He said regardless of whether the Emergency Rule has been extended or not as demanded by the Governor, it is glaring that the conduct of elections in 2015 will be impossible in the state.
“Whether Emergency Rule is extended or not, the conduct of any kind of election will be impossible in Adamawa State,” he said.
Similarly, the Coordinator Interfaith Mediation Center International North East Zone Mallam Abdullahi Damare said the primary responsibility of government was the provision of peace adding that he is not particular about which method the government should deploy as far as the insurrection is contained.
