Borno absent at Chibok panel inauguration

All three representatives of Borno State in President Goodluck Jonathan’s fact-finding committee on the abducted Chibok girls did not turn up at the inauguration of the committee on Tuesday.

They gave no reason for the action.

At the inauguration, the committee was mandated to:

• ‎Liaise with the Borno State Government and establish the circumstances leading to the school remaining open for boarding students when other schools were closed;
• Liaise with relevant authorities and the parents of the missing girls to ‎establish the actual number and identities of the girls abducted;
• Interface with the Security Services and Borno State Government ‎to ascertain how many of the missing girls have returned;
• Mobilise the surrounding communities and the general public on ‎citizen support for a rescue strategy and operation;
• Articulate a framework for a multi-stakeholder action for the rescue ‎of the missing girls;
• Advise Government on any matter incidental to the terms of ‎reference.‎

Being the state where the abduction took place, the Borno State government was issued three slots on the committee, two of which were to be filled by women.

Earlier at the weekend, Patience Jonathan, the president’s wife, had accused key officials of the Borno State government of sabotaging the federal government’s efforts to rescue the girls, after wife of the governor, Nana Kashim Shettima, failed to turn up at meetings called by the first lady.

“On Friday when she was called she gave 100 per cent assurance that she will be here but today she sent commissioner for women affairs,” Patience had said.

“Again, today, she failed to show up and sent the commissioner… If the mother of Borno is not here I don’t know what to do.”