CHAIRMAN of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State Ben Nwoye has said that the declaration of a state of emergency is not a viable option for Nigeria, saying that this may lead to the emergence of military rule in the country.
Nwoye said this on Wednesday when he featured on the Channels TV programme, Sunrise Daily, while discussing the call by the House of Representatives to declare an immediate state of emergency on insecurity in Nigeria.
Nwoye said a state of emergency would lead to an undemocratic process, describing insecurity as a national challenge that should be approached by reassuring Nigerians that more could be done to protect lives and property.
Admitting that insecurity was rife across Nigeria, he stated that the Police and security agents around the country were doing their best to curb the situation.
He also stated that the democratic institution might collapse and certain inalienable rights would be lost following the declaration of a state of emergency.
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According to Nwoye, elected individuals might be made to relinquish their positions in military rule.
He maintained that the call for a state of emergency was not well thought-out by the members of the House of Representatives, noting that a state of emergency would negatively affect all democratic institutions, including the House of Representatives.
Proposing solutions to the problem, Nwoye suggested that a level of calm be maintained by the people and a continuous recruitment of personnel into the security sector of the country be conducted.
Also featuring on the show, a member of the House of Representatives Obinna Chidoka shared a contrary opinion, saying that a state of emergency on security had become necessary so as to review all the security agents in the country and to restore peace.
Chidoka said the democratic process had already been violated and rights lost, given the security situation in the country.
He bemoaned the increasing rate of crime and criminality, and called for the president’s resignation if he was not capable of handling the situation of the country.
Nigeria has been burdened by security challenges ranging from Islamic extremism and terrorism, to banditry, secessionist movements and general internal strife.
Insecurity across the nation has required that solution be sought, but the security situation in the country has continued to deteriorate. Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies seem helpless to confront the situation.
Nobel Laurette Wole Soyinka has asked Buhari to seek external help to save the country from collapse.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.