Several Facebook friends of President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, described the state of emergency rule declared in Adamawa, Borno and Yobo states as “partial.”
Although the majority of them applauded the President for taking the decision, they said the presence of political office holders in the affected states might undermine the effectiveness of the measure.
They argued that the political office holders in the states should step down pending the time that normalcy will return to their respective domains.
One of the President’s friends, Adebayo Adediran, explained that the political office holders sympathetic to the teachings and ideals of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, might sabotage the move to restore law and order in their states.
He said, “My dear President, please note that there is nothing like partial or half state of emergency. It should be a complete or total state of emergency and no ‘milidemocracy’ as you’ve done now.
“Let all the present states actors, I mean political office holders in those states, step aside for now as they will definitely interfere with the military orders and that may also result to more dangerous situations. Our army don’t have to negotiate with any civilian leader before they act please.”
Another commenter on the President’s Facebook fan page, Eno-Obong Antia, said imposing a “total emergency’’ in the affected states would go a long way in getting them to collaborate fully in the resolve to stamp out terror in the affected northern states.
Antia said, “Mr. President, sir, you have done well. But I wish the governors and those in the state houses of assembly were affected because by the time they stay in their various homes for at least three months without their usual Ghana-must go allowances, they will be at loss and this will make them to fish out those among them that are involved in the crime.”
One Tony Chidozie wrote, “Declaring state of emergency is a good decision; but to still allow the politicians at the helm is making it look like a new name for old sickness.”
His friends on the social network also argued that the emergency should have been declared long ago to forestall the needless killings. Some people also advocated for the enforcement of the emergency rule in other troubled northern states.
A commenter, Adaramaja Oluwatosin, said, “Thank God for the action! But Mr. President, why? All this while you were just there looking at the situation while lives were being wasted and properties of innocents Nigerians were destroyed. This step you have taken is supposed to have been taken since May the souls of the slain Nigerians rest in perfect peace.”
A section of his Facebook friends advised him to immediately jettison the amnesty offer proposed to the group, adding that Jonathan should focus his attention on quelling the insurgency once and for all during the period of the emergency rule.
“This action is more constitutional and more lawful than the much touted amnesty. If the trouble makers in those states submit themselves to constitutional order and renounce terrorism, then and only then will amnesty proposals become legitimate or meaningful.
“The country is again facing a looming civil war. It is a war we must win against separatists and outlaws. May the soldiers complete the task with victory,” one of his friends, Chigoziri O Onwumere, wrote.
To Onoriode Kelvin, it is a step that Jonathan ought to have taken before now. He argued, “This was long overdue. You do not – no matter the situation – negotiate with terrorists. The political office holders should also step down in the state pending when normalcy is achieved. Otherwise, the purpose of this declaration will not be 100 per cent effective.”
Seemingly summing up the advice of fellow Nigerians who flooded the President’s Facebook page was Metche Wonder, who said now is the time the Jonathan administration must put an end to terrorism in the country.
Metche Wonder said, “When an individual cooks for the masses, definitely they will finish it, but when the masses cook for an individual, can he or she finish it? Mr. President, this is the right time to cook for these terrors of peace, take a drastic measure, in order to wipe this shame from the face of our dear country Nigeria.
“How can humans become fond of killing fellow humans? I wonder why one Nigeria our fathers fought for seems not to be working. So, please Mr. President, rethink all over these again and call a spade a spade for the sake of national peace. I rest my case.”
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