Elections May Not Be Held On Liberated Territories

Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah

Kenneth Minimah, the Chief of Army Staff, said that elections may not be held in North-East communities recently liberated from Boko Haram terrorists.

 Minimah made the statement after attending a Security Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, The Punch reports.
He told journalists that the government structures needed to be restored in the town and villages before issues about elections could be discussed.
However, the Army chief didn’t give any precise date of when this would be feasible, stressing that the decision was entirely in the hands of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“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,” Minimah said.
When asked whether the operation could be finished before March 28, the Army chief 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 permutation.”
Continuing the briefing with journalists, Minimah disclosed that after the successful operations, carried out in the last three weeks, the council renewed its confidence in the Nigerian Armed Forces and commended the troops.
 

 “Council reviewed the North-east operations particularly in the last three weeks and council renewed its confidence in the Nigerian armed forces and commended them too.”
“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.”
The Army boss took the opportunity to deny media reports that mercenaries are assisting security agencies   w in the war against the Boko Hram sect.


“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.
When asked on the abducted Chibok girls,  Minimah told journalists the recent updates on rescue operations.
According to This Day, Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the INEc, who left the meeting in the company of other INEC officials, declined to speak to journalists and comment on the possibility of another postponement of the election. When asked how the meeting went, he replied: “I believe it went well”.