Members of the presidential fact-finding committee on the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls yesterday flew back to Abuja, having rounded off their assignment in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, a statement from the committee’s spokesman, Mr Kingsley Osadolor said.
The committee was not able to visit Chibok from where the girls were abducted, a development that immediately raised concern amongst the populace in the state.
Osadolor insisted in an emailed statement issued to journalists, that its return to Abuja was not an indication that the committee had concluded its job. He explained that the return to Abuja was to enable the committee streamline some of the facts gathered in Maiduguri with some sources based in Abuja, after which the committee would return to Borno State and then visit Chibok.
“After the trip to Abuja, the committee will return to Borno shortly. The return trip to Borno is specifically to interface with the families and communities in Chibok. The visit has not been undertaken at this time, because in the course of the interactions with stakeholders, pertinent issues arose, and these impact directly on aspects of the committee’s terms of reference, that is, to mobilise the surrounding communities and the general public on citizen support for a rescue strategy and operation, and to articulate a framework for a multi-stakeholder action for the rescue of the missing girls. The delayed visit to Chibok has been discussed with representatives of the communities,” Osadolor said.
The committee had on Saturday afternoon spent hours interacting with the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, in line with their mission. The committee told the governor at the inception of the meeting, which was briefly open to the media before they were asked to leave, that they had interacted with various stakeholders comprising the military and other security agencies, the principal and other management members of the school, the Borno Elders Forum and other stakeholders.
Though the committee paid Governor Shettima a courtesy visit last week, the chairman of the committee, Brig Gen Ibrahim Sabo, in Thursday’s meeting said that their second visit to the governor was to enable them hear the state government’s side of the matter of the abduction of the schoolgirls.
Mr Osadolor’s statement further said that the committee had had held consultations and interactions with a broad spectrum of stakeholders and credible sources relevant to its assignment.
“Among those with whom the committee interfaced are the Shehu of Borno, military commanders, heads of paramilitary formations, the state commissioner of police, and state director of the Department of State Service, The committee also had intensive engagement with the principal, vice principals (administration and academic) of Government Secondary School, Chibok, where the mass abduction took place; the matrons of the hostels, head cook, and security guards on duty on the day of the incident, April 14, 2014. The divisional police officer in charge of Chibok was equally debriefed by the committee.
“Others with whom the committee interacted are the Borno State commissioner for education, the Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima; Borno Elders Forum, the district head of Chibok, and representatives of the Chibok communities, including the local government chairman. The committee found the interactions very useful. Coupled with the outcome of its earlier consultations and interactions with the service chiefs, inspector general of police, heads of intelligence and security agencies, as well as some foreign experts who are in the country as part of the global support pledged to Nigeria in the wake of the mass abduction, the committee is pleased to announce that it has made tremendous progress in its assignment.
“In the course of its mission to Borno State, the fact-finding committee amassed a treasure trove of information on the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls and insurgency in general. But specific details cannot be given just yet. Furthermore, the committee still needs to streamline and corroborate the welter of facts it has unearthed. Sources for the streamlining are in the Federal Capital Territory, where the committee held the first in its series of consultations and interactions. This has necessitated the fact-finding committee returning to Abuja at this time,” read the statement.
People in Maiduguri however expressed shock over the non-visit to Chibok town by the committee. Former labour leader in the state, Comrade Zannah Shettima said, “This is just an insult and attempted play on our intelligence. How can a committee of such importance come to Borno State and spend a whole week without going to visit Chibok town and interface with the parents of the abducted schoolgirls? In my opinion, Maiduguri should not have been where the committee was supposed to visit in the first place; Chibok town is the place they ought to have visited. There they can get the real information directly from the parents and the people of the town who saw it all. Now they are back to Abuja, I don’t know what useful information they have taken away with them,” Comrade Shettima said.
Source: Leadership
July 03, 2014, 07:40:05 AM