Elections may not hold in liberated towns, villages

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen.
Kenneth Minimah, on Tuesday
hinted that elections may not hold
in North-East communities recently
liberated from Boko Haram
insurgents.
Minimah told journalists after a
Security Council meeting presided
over by President Goodluck
Jonathan in Abuja that government
structures needed to be restored in
the town and villages before issues
about elections could be discussed.
The presidential election is billed
for March 28 while governorship
and National Assembly polls will
take place on April 11.
The COAS however said that the
Independent National Electoral
Commission needed to re-assess
the situation in the communities
before a final stand could be taken
on elections.
The Chairman of INEC, Attahiru
Jega, had briefed the meeting
attended by all heads of security
agencies and relevant ministers of
the state of the electoral body’s
preparedness for the general
elections while the security chiefs
gave updates on the anti-terrorism
war.
Minimah said, “I am not competent
to speak on that (elections) matter.
INEC is still there, INEC has to re-
access 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.
“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.”
When probed further, the Army
chief said he did not know how
soon the structures could be
reinstated.
When further asked whether the
operation could be completed
before March 28, he replied , “It is
our wish and we pray God gives
that to us, but war is war. War
sometimes is not fought on some
platforms of permutation.”
The COAS disclosed that after
reviewing the North-East
operations particularly in the last
three weeks, the council renewed
its confidence in the Nigerian
Armed Forces and commended the
troops.
He said, “You know Yobe and
Adamawa states have been
liberated completely and we look
forward to the reinstatement of
structures of government and
governance.
“I am also sure you know that in
Borno State, out of the 27 local
governments, we have three local
governments remaining: Abadam,
Kalabaldi and Gwoza and we are
optimistic that with time, we will
liberate those LGAs.”
Despite the success recorded
however, Minimah said there was
no news yet on the over 200
schoolgirls abducted in Chibok,
Borno State, almost a year ago.
He said, “There is no news on the
Chibok girls for now. In all the
liberated areas , we have also made
enquiries but the truth is when the
terrorists are running away, they
also run with their families.
“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 they
are losing the areas captured by
them, we will get further details
on that.”
The Army boss also denied media
reports that security agencies
were being assisted in the war
against terrorism by mercenaries.
“There are no mercenaries
employed by anyone. What we
have are advisers and instructors
and they are all over the world.
Whenever you have new
equipment, the equipment comes
with contract and the contract
includes maintenance and the
technicians that come with them
are those that we hire,” he said.
Jega had emerged from the council
meeting at about 2.20pm after
briefing the members on INEC’s
preparations for the elections.
He was accompanied to the
meeting by two top officials of the
commission.
When State House correspondents
asked him about the meeting, the
INEC boss simply said, “I believe it
went well.”
He did not answer subsequent
questions relating to the use of
card reader during the elections
and INEC’s level of preparedness
as he made his way out of the
Presidential Villa.
The meeting which started a few
minutes after 11am had in
attendance, the Vice President
Namadi Sambo; the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation,
Pius Anyim; the Chief of Staff to the
President, Jones Arogbofa; the
National Security Adviser, Sambo
Dasuki; the Attorney-General of the
Federation, Muhammed Adoke
(SAN); the Minister of Police Affairs,
Jelili Adesiyan; the Minister of
Interior, Aba Moro; and Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali.
Others were the Chief of Defence
Staff, Alex Badeh; the Chief of
Naval Staff, Usman Jibrin; the Chief
of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu; the
Inspector-General of Police,
Suleiman Abba; as well as the
heads of the Department of State
Services, the National Intelligence
Agency and the Chief of Defence
Intelligence.
700,000 PVCs still being
produced –Jega
The PUNCH gathered from one of
the officials that attended the
meeting that Jega reassured the
council of INEC’s readiness for the
elections.
He was also said to have told the
council that 700,000 permanent
voter cards were still being
produced and that those who had
yet to collect their PVCs still had till
March 22 to do so.
According to the official, Jega
explained that the commission had
utilised the six-week period of
extension to further perfect the
electoral process in order to deliver
credible elections to Nigerians.
A copy of Jega’s statement at the
meeting tagged “Update on INEC’s
preparedness for the 2015 general
elections,” was also obtained
exclusively by our correspondent.
In the document, the INEC boss
insisted that the commission had
forged ahead in its determination
to conduct the elections on the
rescheduled dates.
He said, “It can be seen that INEC
has forged ahead with preparations
to conduct the 2015 general
elections as rescheduled for March
28 and April 11.
“We believe that the period of
extension has offered us an
opportunity to further perfect the
electoral process for the delivery of
free, fair, credible and peaceful
elections.
“I am pleased that all the non-
sensitive and sensitive materials
for the elections, including ballot
papers, have now been delivered
to states ready for deployment.”
Jega however raised security
concerns over the polls.
He stressed the need for soldiers to
be on standby in case of violence
since policemen who would be at
polling booths would not be
armed.
The electoral umpire added,
“Security on the day of election and
the days following the elections
remains a major area of concern.
“Among other things, we hope that
the traditional ban on public
officials moving around with their
security details and orderlies will
be stringently enforced.
“We also hope that the ban on
unauthorised general movement
will be enforced. The bounding
over politicians and the rounding
up of thugs and drug suppliers
should be intensified.
“Perhaps most importantly, we
appeal for special preparations for
protecting election staff, including
rapid evacuation when necessary.
Corpers’ lodges should also be
adequately protected.”
Jega also said that the commission
had made full preparations to
enable Internally Displaced
Persons to vote during the
elections.
This, he explained, would apply to
IDPs from areas that are worst hit
by the insurgency, specifically
Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
The plan, according to him, is to
create voting centres in safe areas.
He said where applicable, the
voting centres would be located
close to the IDP camps.
Jega added that the arrangement
would require special provisions
for security and the commission
would be counting on the various
agencies for assistance.
He described the turnout for the
mock demonstration of card reader
as satisfactory.
According to him, the
demonstration was also largely
satisfactory with close to 100
percent verification and 60 percent
authentication.

i dnt knw wrng wit dat egberé

mayb dey shud com hire me to face dos boko haram,i get juju for here

Are u many in ur mum's hand ?

Horlarplenty2 wrote:

mayb dey shud com hire me to face dos boko haram,i get juju for here

Stop decieving us here, boko haram pass u PDP

Lolz

No be so bro

Nah so

Make a rEasonable comment pls