Boko Haram: Senate backs presidency on amnesty stand

THE Senate, on Tuesday, declared its support for the stand taken by President Goodluck Jonathan over his refusal to grant amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect.

This was as it also advised the Kano State governor, Dr Rabiu Kwakwanso, to be mindful of his utterances on issues affecting the country.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, made the stand of the Senate known while speaking with members the Senate Press Corps.

He said the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly agreed with the decision of the president, saying, “I think the Senate position has always been constant and consistent.”

 Reacting to a statement credited to Governor Kwakwanso condemning the reactions of some senators to the recent bomb blasts in Kano, Abaribe said people in high offices should used temperate languages in their utterances, especially when there was tension in the country.

“As for the comments that were made by the governor of Kano State, we think that people in very high office should use temperate language, especially this time that there is a lot of tension in the country and we expect that in keeping with everybody’s high office, he will also act in the same manner,” he said.

The senator also said the presidency may have taken over constituency projects being carried out by ministries for better performance, just as he distanced the National Assembly from involvement in the projects.

 “We think that what is being done in the presidency is probably to make it (constituency projects) more efficient, taking a look at what happens with regards to projects that are tagged constituency projects,” he said.