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IT IS the era of politics now in the country. And serious business affairs of the state are being swamped into the murky waters of politics. From the East to the West, North to South, every national issue going the wrong way is being viewed from the prism of politics.  The escalation of insurgency in the land is being blamed on politics. Much to the confusion of the masses who are bearing the brunt of the politicians inability to  attend to the business of the state before delving into their political affairs.

As some part of the nation in the north eastern part of the country burns, politicians are the least concerned. All that mattered more to them is the sharing of political post to contest for in 2015 election. Politicians in both the executive arm and legislative arms of government are holding each other by the jugular.

For instance, the Senators from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress, APC, are holding President Goodluck Jonathan by the neck by refusing to okay his request for an extension of the emergency rule for another six months to enable the military prosecute the war against the Boko Haram insurgency effectively.

The National Assembly deftly adjourned its sitting to December 16, to make sure that all the primaries have been concluded before they can extend the emergency rule. As if the delay in extending the emergency is not enough to cow Jonathan into granting their wishes to return to the National Assembly in 2015, the legislators are shoving impeachment threat under his nose. The political conundrum over the emergency is raising the political temperature of the nation while the masses are suffering as the Boko Haram sect has escalated its activities with the shocking bombing of the Kano Mosque where tradition holds sway and the overnight take-over of Damaturu which was mercifully contained by the military even though skirmishes are still on in the war torn town.

Amidst all the Boko Haram brouhaha and the political shenanigans, our leaders remain unperturbed about the mass displacement of our brothers and sisters, old men and women, children and youth in the crisis ridden region. The politicians from the different sides of the divide argue from both sides of their mouth, trading accusation of who should be held responsible for the upsurge in the insurgency. The APC will like everyone to believe that Jonathan is the curse of the insurgency. On the other hand, the Peoples Democratic Party publicly declared that APC leaders are responsible for the insurgency. Nigerians including lawyers and security experts have all joined the debate. Some insist that Jonathan should declare emergency immediately because the country is at war. Some think otherwise. It is a precarious situation which Realnews decided to look into in the cover story for this week entitled: “Emergency Rule Quagmire”. It was written by our in-house political guru, Olu Ojewale, general editor. Enjoy it.

Maureen Chigbo

Editor

mechigbo@yahoo.com  |  mechigbo@realnewsmagazine.net

— Dec. 15, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT

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