*No news on abducted Chibok girls-Minimah
People of the troubled zone of North-east will exercise their
voting rights in the coming elections only when all the
structures of government and governance there are
reinstated.
This was the outcome of a meeting of the National Security
Council presided over on Tuesday by President Goodluck
Jonathan.
The meeting, which was held at the Presidential Villa in
Abuja, lasted several hours.
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, briefed the
council on the readiness of his commission for the
elections.
Jega, who left the Presidential Villa before the meeting
ended, simply told State House journalists that the meeting
went well.
The INEC boss said: “I believe it (the meeting) went well.”
Jega, however, declined comments on his commission's
plan to use card readers during the elections.
But the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Tobiah
Minimah, who addressed journalists after the meeting, said
the people of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States could only
vote when the structures of governance there are
reinstated.
On the fate of the over 200 schoolgirls of Chibok, Minimah
said there was no news for now.
According to him, "You know Yobe and Adamawa States
have been liberated completely and we look forward to the
reinstatement of structures of government and governance.
I'm also sure you know that in Borno State, out of the 27
local government areas, we have three local governments
remaining: Abadam, Kalabaldi and Gwoza. And we are
optimistic that with time, we will liberate those local
governments".
On whether the council discussed the forthcoming elections,
Minimah said only the INEC was competent to talk about
the elections, adding that the commission had to reassess
and evaluate the situation in the three troubled states.
Minimah, who said the military had liberated areas captured
by the Boko Haram sect, said: "I’m not competent to speak
on that matter (elections). The INEC is still there. INEC has
to reassess the situation and evaluate because the areas
have been liberated, but I can also tell you that not all
structures of governance have been reinstated and they will
need to be reinstated so that citizens can go back to their
areas, and it is then I think they can execute their rights as
voters".
Asked how soon those structures would be reinstated, the
Chief of Army Staff said: "I don’t know".
On the abducted Chibok girls, Minimah said: "No news for
now. In all the liberated areas we have, we have also made
enquiries, but the truth is when the terrorists are running
away, they also run with their families, and those we have
come in contact with have not made any comments
suggesting that Chibok girls were there and taken away. But
we are optimistic that as it becomes closer, the territory is
becoming elusive to them. We will get further details on
that". CLICK HERE TO READ FULL AND TOUCHING NIGERIAN CELEBRITIES BIOGRAPHY AND SCANDALS
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