President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday inaugurated a 30-man
fact-finding committee to look into the rescue of kidnapped Chibok
girls. The committee is expected to speak to the public at least once a
day to keep everyone abreast with recent developments on the case.
The committee will look into issues surrounding the abduction of the
girls and also consider possible rescue plans. While inaugurating the
committee, the President said;
“You will agree with me that this is not a committee that brings joy
to me and indeed our country men and women. However, it is a necessary
step which government must take to confront the sad circumstances
surrounding the abduction of female students, our daughters in
Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok.
First let me make it very clear – luckily the Minister of Justice is
here – that this committee is neither a judicial committee nor an
administrative committee to look into the affairs of this incident. No.
It is not administrative panel set up by federal government or a
judicial committee. I must make that very clear because those are the
responsibilities of the state and not that of the federal government.
Continue…
I say so because before you know somebody will go to court and say
that federal government is interloping in an area which is supposed to
be an exclusive preserve of the state.
The operation of the security and intelligence services will continue
to intensify till our daughters are rescued and brought safely home to
their families. Rather this committee will be primarily concern with
providing public interface with all directly concerned in this tragedy,
in order to provide a well-coordinated citizens input into the overall
investigations.
The whole world is watching you because that is why we made sure that
an information officer is attached to you. Because I believe you will
be speaking to the world every six hours or at least once a day as to
the progress of the committee. I am appreciative of the fact that this
sad incident has attracted global outrage.
This is a clear testimony to the fact that humanity can come together
and stand as one against evil no matter how it is presented. This is
the time when we must dwell together beyond all political, religious or
regional divide against our common enemy.
We must remain vigilant and be ready to assist security agencies and authorities at all time,” he said.
Chairman of the Committee, Rtd. Gen. Ibrahim Sabo pledged that himself
and the other members will do their best. Members invited from Borno
state and the UN were absent at the inauguration.
Members of the committee include two representatives of the National
Council of Women Societies, NCWS); two female representatives, Nigeria
Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS; two
representatives of the national members of Parents Teachers Association;
two representatives of the Nigeria Police, and two representatives of
the State Security Service.
Others are two representatives of the Nigerian Army, two
representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, one
representative of the Federal Ministry of Information (who would be the
Committees’ Spokesperson), and one Representative of the Federal
Ministry of Justice as well as three Representatives of the Borno State
Government (two of whom, preferably, shall be women), one Representative
of the United Nations, one Representative of ECOWAS (who shall be a
woman) and the Permanent Secretary (Special Services Office) who shall
be the Secretary of the Committee.

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