The Secretary to the Borno State Government, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, has faulted claim by the National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Adamu Ahmed Muazu, that both the Minister of State for education and the WAEC, had written to the governor not to allow exams go on in Chibok, but that the governor insisted.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos yesterday, Jidda, who showed the reporters the purported letters from both the minister and WAEC, challenged Muazu to produce the letters which asked the state government not to conduct exams at Chibok.
The SSG showed the reporters the letter the state government wrote to the Police, asking it to provide security on daily basis, to all exam centres, including the school in Chibok, based on the request made by WAEC.
He said, “there was no where in the letters where they asked us not to conduct exams in Chibok. In any case, the minister does not even have the locus standi to direct the governor on such matters.
We provided logistics as requested by WAEC. We wrote the Police too, to provide security on daily basis, as per the request from WAEC.
“But let me reiterate here that at no time did we receive any letter either from the police, WAEC or even the minister, advising us not to hold the exams in Chibok. At any rate, as at the time of the exams, Chibok was considered as one of the safest locations in the state.
“In actual fact, the minister’s letter only asked that security be provided for WAEC officials in Federal Government Colleges in Borno State. The letter did not request that security be provided for students, let alone Chibok students. So, I see Muazu’s claim as not only ridiculous, but one that smacks of mischief”, the SSG, added.
On the claim by Muazu that the governor was not in the country at the time Jonathan was to visit Chibok, Jidda again said, it was not true.
He said: “The governor went to London for a different purpose and not just to grant interviews. However, as soon as we got information that the President was on his way to France, and would make a stop over in Chibok, my governor cut short his trip to return to Borno. And while we were waiting to receive the President, we got the information that the President’s visit has been called off.”
