The Federal Government has expressed support for the
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on the possibility of declaring state of
emergency in Anambra if the incessant killings and other criminal acts in the
state persist.
Malami, also the Attorney General of the Federation, had
given the indication on Wednesday that the Federal Government would not rule
out the option of declaring a state of emergency in Anambra given the violence
in the state ahead of the Nov. 6 governorship poll in the state.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday
in Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said
Malami’s position was to avert a constitutional crisis in the state.
Mohammed said no government would fold its arms and allow
the pillar of democracy to be destroyed.
“In the last couple of weeks, IPOB had imposed sit-at-home
on the citizens, they did not allow people to go to schools, markets and there
are also high profile killings.
“The AGF said yesterday that the government will do whatever
it takes to restore law and order in Anambra and the entire South East to
ensure that symbols and pillars of democracy are not tampered with.
“The forthcoming election in the state is one of the pillars
of democracy
“Those who are criticising the AGF on this, have they
thought for one minute what will happen if the election does not take place in
Anambra State on Nov. 6?
“They should bear in mind that under our constitution, a
governor cannot spend an extra day beyond the mandate of four years.
“What will happen will be constitutional crisis of immense
proportion,’’ he said
The minister recalled that during previous democratic
dispensations, a state of emergency was declared in Ekiti and Plateau States.
He said what was happening in Anambra presently was worse
than what happened in Plateau and Ekiti when a state of emergency was declared.
On the position of some critics that government did not
declare state of emergency in Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna where they alleged
there were more killings, the minister said the situation was not the same with
Anambra
“You do not compare apples with oranges, the bandits in
Katsina do not want to leave Nigeria.
“They do not want to declare their own republic and they are
not saying there will be no elections. They are primarily criminals.
“It is a disingenuous argument to say that they have killed
more people in Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna than they killed in Anambra.
“What is happening in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger is
criminality and the government will not condone it.
“I have not seen the bandits hoist any flag anywhere as
opposed to Boko Haram.
“Until they were dislodged in Bama they set up their own
government, collecting taxes,’’ he said.
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