FG RECEIVES INTERIM REPORT ON BOKO HARAM, GIVES 2 WEEKS FOR FINAL REPORT

By NBF News

The Federal Government has granted the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North-east extra two weeks to tidy up its work, adding that it was important that lives and property were secured.

The extension was at the request of the committee, which submitted its interim report yesterday to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

Consenting to the request of the committee, Anyim said the suggestions and recommendations contained in the interim report remained sealed until the submission of the final report in two weeks time. 'This report will not be made public until the final report is submitted,' he said.

While commending the committee for the urgency it attached to the work, he added that, 'the two weeks extension has been heartily granted.'

While also noting that it was important that if people were aggrieved, the government should seek to find out the cause, the SGF, however, said it was important that people should follow the right channel in stating their grievances.

While inaugurating the committee, Anyim had said the committee was as a result of a meeting between the president and the elders of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on the best way forward.

He had said, 'one of the issues agreed at the meeting was the need to create a forum that will give the elders and the general public role in finding a lasting solution to the security situation in Borno State and some parts of the North.'

In his remark, the Chairman of the committee, Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari said the committee within the time frame was able to go round the affected states, held series of meetings with security agencies and was able to gather enough information to direct the government. He also said the report encompassed some recommendations which the government must implement as a matter of urgency.

The committee asked that it be given extra two weeks to tidy up its final report.

The terms of reference include: To review all the issues of security challenges in the zone and proffer solutions/recommendations which would bring a speedy resolution of the crisis; to serve as a liason between the Federal Government and the state governments, where necessary; to liaise with the National Security Adviser (NSA) to ensure that the security services discharged their respective assignments with optimal professionalism; to consult with stakeholders from time to time for suggestions of ANC to ascertain the true state of affairs; and to consider any other initiatives that would serve to engender enduring peace and security in the area.

Members of the committee are Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, Mr. Joe Kyari Gadzama, Col. Musa Shehu (retd), Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, Minister of Defence, Bello Harilu Mohammed, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu while Abdullahi Shehu from Office of the SGF would act as secretary of the committee.