The Senate on Tuesday in Abuja failed to discuss the request for the extension of emergency rule in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States after a seven-hour closed door meeting with the Service Chiefs.
Shortly after the meeting, the Senate President, Senator David Mark, said the Senate had a robust discussion with the service chiefs.
Mark added: “We discussed extensively with the service chiefs and we have noted the challenges and progress made by them in fighting insurgency.”
He directed the Senate spokesperson, Senator Enyinaya Abaribe, to brief newsmen on the lawmakers’ interaction with the service chiefs.
Meanwhile, Mark said that the pandemonium in the National Assembly on November 20 would be discussed in plenary on Wednesday.
Addressing newsmen after the Senate adjourned, Abaribe said the issue of state of emergency was not discussed at the meeting.
He said the meeting was basically to discuss the challenges faced by the military in combating the “asymmetrical war”.
Abaribe added: “The question of the state of emergency was not what was on the table today.
“We are going to wait until it is brought on the floor of the senate and we will discuss it.
“We met with the service chiefs so that we can bring the issue of insurgency to a quick resolution.
“Of course the military continues to insist that they need the state of emergency to be able to conduct operations in a manner that will bring it to a quick resolution.”
Abaribe said the Senate confirmed from the briefing by the service chiefs that the military “have some problems which have to do with the troop levels, the level of equipment and of course all the other problems.
“We are very glad that the military is at this moment gearing up itself to be able to deal with this asymmetrical conflict in the North East of Nigeria.
“We can assure Nigerians that the military is up to the task of dealing with this matter.”
The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kenneth Minimah; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu; and the Director-General of Department of State Service, Ita Ekpeyong.
However, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh; and the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, were absent.
Tuesday was the third attempt by the Senate to arrive at a consensus on the extension of the state of emergency.