The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah, on Tuesday expressed doubts about full return of governance structures in the liberated communities of the Northeast before next week’s presidential elections.
He spoke with State House correspondents at the end of about six hours Security Council meeting convened by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He however said that he was not in a position to speak on whether elections will hold in the area or would be postponed.
According to him, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, who was part of the meeting, would be the right person to decide on whether the elections will hold.
He said that the council gave a vote of confidence on the military following the successful anti-terrorism operations in the Northeast and that only three local governments in Borno state are yet to be liberated from the control of Boko Haram.
“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 government we have three local governments remaining, Abadam, Kalabaldi and Gwoza and we are optimistic that with time we will liberate those local governments.
“I am not competent to speak on the elections. INEC is still there. INEC has to re-assess 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.”
On whether the military operations could be concluded before March 28th, he said “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 permutations.”
Speaking on Chibok girls, he 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 the war gets closer, the territory is becoming elusive to them (terrorists) and we will get further details on that.” he stated
Jega, who left the meeting hours before it ended after briefing the council on the preparedness for the polls, simply told journalists on his presentation to the meeting: “I believed it went very well.”
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