The Nigerian Senate last week approved the extension of the emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States for another six months.

But the approval was not without some demands from the Executive.

One of the demands was the enlisting of more young Nigerians into the military to boost the fight on insurgency.

This decision to extend emergency rule in the north east was not easily reached.

It took hours of a closed door meeting between the senate president and lawmakers particularly those from the northern states.

The northern caucus in the Senate last week said its members would vote against the extension of emergency rule in the three states because it was not achieving the purpose for which it was declared.

But it is obvious that an agreement was reached during the talks.

This is the second time emergency rule has been extended in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States in about two years.

After all said and done, would this extension make any difference in the fight against terrorism and would the presidency give in to the demands of the senate? only time will tell.

In another development, the House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights met with the National Human rights Commission and the National Agency For The Prohibition  Of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) over people displaced by terrorism.

As with any case of terrorism and insurgency the biggest casualty is usually the people particularly women and children.

With this in mind, the chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, Beni Lar, urged the National Refugees Commission to take necessary measures to provide shelter and basic needs for families and survivors of terrorist attacks in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

At the meeting, efforts yet to be put in place to ensure that the military personnel in the battle are well equipped and protected as they continue on the fight to rescue the kidnapped girls were discussed.

To effectively tackle terrorism, the NHRC Director, Oti Ovrewah, stressed the need for the provision of modern and state of art arms and ammunition for the military, police and other security agencies as well as improved motivation and welfare packages for security operatives involved in internal security operations.

The director said the Human Rights Commission is collaborating with various national and international agencies including the office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies on the promotion of human rights in the three troubled states.

In her contribution, the Executive Secretary the NAPTIP, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, said the agency was interacting with its counterpart in Niger.

She explained that it was waiting for the details of the meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan with his counterparts from Niger, Cameroon, Benin Republic and Chad in France before taking any decision.

Also, during last week’s plenary, the back and forth between the House of Representatives and the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison Maduekwe, continued.

The latest in the saga is that Alison-Madueke, has instituted a fresh legal action against the two chambers of the National Assembly, challenging their powers to probe allegations that she spent 10 billion Naira on chartered private jets.

The Minister of Petroleum filed the suit on the day that the House of Representatives Committee on Public Account issued fresh summons to the minister over the alleged expenses of 10 billion Naira on private jets.

The House also summoned the group managing director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, managing director Federal Airports Authority, the MD of pipeline and petroleum products marketing company, PPPMC, Mr Haruna Momoh, Vistajet International limited and other stakeholders.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Zakari Mohammed, said all those summoned were to appear between June 15 and 17 to shed light on various aspects of the alleged 10 billion Naira expenses, adding that anyone who refuses to appear will face a subpoena under the law.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, had earlier directed the House Public Account Committee to go ahead with the investigation of the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke 10 billion Naira private jets probe earlier put on hold to observe court processes served on the house and turn in their reports as soon as possible.

Tambuwal explained that an earlier directive he gave suspending the probe was not based on a court injunction as widely reported but a bid to study the court process served on the house by the petroleum minister before further legislative action.