Chibok girls: President Jonathan inaugurates fact-finding committee

President Goodluck Jonathan today inaugurated a 30-man fact-
finding committee to look into the rescue of kidnapped Chibok
girls. The committee is expected to speak to the public at least
once a day to keep everyone abreast with recent developments
on the case.
The committee will look into issues surrounding the abduction
of the girls and also consider possible rescue plans. While
inaugurating the committee, the President said;
"You will agree with me that this is not a committee that
brings joy to me and indeed our country men and women.
However, it is a necessary step which government must
take to confront the sad circumstances surrounding the
abduction of female students, our daughters in Government
Girls Secondary School, Chibok.
First let me make it very clear – luckily the Minister of
Justice is here – that this committee is neither a judicial
committee nor an administrative committee to look into
the affairs of this incident. No. It is not administrative
panel set up by federal government or a judicial
committee. I must make that very clear because those are
the responsibilities of the state and not that of the federal
government. Continue...
I say so because before you know somebody will go to court
and say that federal government is interloping in an area which
is supposed to be an exclusive preserve of the state. The
operation of the security and intelligence services will continue
to intensify till our daughters are rescued and brought safely
home to their families. Rather this committee will be primarily
concern with providing public interface with all directly
concerned in this tragedy, in order to provide a well-
coordinated citizens input into the overall investigations.The
whole world is watching you because that is why we made sure
that an information officer is attached to you. Because I
believe you will be speaking to the world every six hours or at
least once a day as to the progress of the committee. I am
appreciative of the fact that this sad incident has attracted
global outrage. This is a clear testimony to the fact that
humanity can come together and stand as one against evil no
matter how it is presented. This is the time when we must
dwell together beyond all political, religious or regional divide
against our common enemy. We must remain vigilant and be
ready to assist security agencies and authorities at all time,” he
said.
Chairman of the Committee, Rtd. Gen. Ibrahim Sabo pledged
that himself and the other members will do their best. Members
invited from Borno state and the UN were absent at the
inauguration.
Members of the committee include two representatives of the
National Council of Women Societies, NCWS); two female
representatives, Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary
Schools, ANCOPSS; two representatives of the national
members of Parents Teachers Association; two representatives
of the Nigeria Police, and two representatives of the State
Security Service.
Others are two representatives of the Nigerian Army, two
representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, one
representative of the Federal Ministry of Information (who
would be the Committees’ Spokesperson), and one
Representative of the Federal Ministry of Justice as well as
three Representatives of the Borno State Government (two of
whom, preferably, shall be women), one Representative of the
United Nations, one Representative of ECOWAS (who shall be
a woman) and the Permanent Secretary (Special Services
Office) who shall be the Secretary of the Committee.