of Borno state govt officials by the presidency

Two journalists have written a letter of protest over what

they describe as the "maltreatment and humiliation" of

some Borno State officials when they were summoned to

the State House by Pres. Jonathan on Saturday May 3rd

and Sunday May 4th

Sahara Reporters obtained the protest letter signed by

Bashir Shuwa and Aliyu Biu. Find it below...

“We the undersigned wish to register our total protest

to the President, and Commander in Chief of the

Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan over the

degrading manner in which Borno State Government

officials were chastised and reduced to nothing by the

Presidency. Continue...

“Last week Friday, on May 2nd, 2014, the President

appeared to have cause to invite key Borno State

Government officials together with some Federal

Government functionaries to the Presidential Villa over the

abduction of the more than two hundred school girls at the

Government Girls Secondary School Chibok, Borno State

three weeks ago.

“Those invited included His Excellency, the Executive

Governor of Borno State, the Honourable Kashim Shettima,

the State Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Inuwa Kubo,

the State Commissioner of Police, and the State Director of

the Department of State Security Services. Others are, the

Principal of Government Girls Secondary School Chibok,

the Chairman of the Chibok Local Government Council, and

the Division Police Officer of Chibok, as well as the Chief

Security Officer of the school.

“Upon their arrival at the Presidential Villa, on Saturday,

May 3rd, 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan personally

interrogated these key officials, from 9 PM to 2 AM, as if all

the official information relayed to him by his security

apparatus in Borno, was meaningless, unreliable and

suspicious.

“At the end of interrogation, President Goodluck Jonathan

handed over these officials to the Inspector General of

Police, with the clear instructions to do his job. These

officials were then driven to the Force Headquarters where

they were detained, and made to make written statements

on how the girls were abducted, and later, released on bail

on self recognition, as if they were directly, or indirectly,

responsible for the abduction of their own children.

“The following Sunday, May 4th, 2014, they were again

taken to the Villa at 5 PM for further interrogation, and this

time by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. While at

the Villa, they remained standing for four hours, after

which, they were ushered into the First Lady’s chambers. It

was there where they were treated to verbal assaults, as to

the veracity of their claims on how the school-girls were

abducted, to the admiration of her cheer leaders, including

the president of market women association, and Ms.

Onyeka Onwenu, as well as some members of the Northern

Governors Wives Association, who were present.

“One would have expected that the First Lady would have

sympathized with these government officials for the

traumatic events they went through, but unfortunately, they

were subjected to all sorts of embarrassing humiliation.

The sum total of the First Lady’s vituperations appeared to

be directed toward negativity, and substituting fact with

fiction, in order to give a dog a bad name in order to hang

it. Also there were attempts made to play on religious

sentiments, an attempt that failed woefully, having realized

that the girls abducted came from various religious groups.

“As if that was not enough, the First Lady made a number

of threatening remarks, including the order to security

officials to arrest some women protesters, and shouting

down on the State Director of State Security Services, and

other officials, whom she allegedly labeled as “Boko

Haram sympathizers.” She also ordered all of the officials

to resign their appointments forthwith, on their return to

their respective duty posts.

“This is highly unfortunate, and totally unacceptable,

because the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of

Nigeria (as amended,) has not mentioned, or given any

clearly defined responsibility, or role, or power to First

Ladies to issue such directives. Nor is there any

constitutional amendment to the First Lady to exercise the

powers of the State Chief, or executive, directly, or

indirectly, or otherwise in matters of governance. The

Nigerian First Ladies are enjoying the current privileges

courtesy of their husbands’ position.

“This official highhandedness exhibited by Dame Patience

Jonathan, is primitive and unconstitutional, and therefore

totally unacceptable. Similarly, the president (will) also

need to clarify the grounds on which he ordered the

detention and interrogation of the key government officials

from Borno State, who were equally victims of the

insurgency in Borno State by the Boko Haram.

“In view of the foregoing, we call on the International

Community to ask President Goodluck Jonathan to explain

to the world why he appeared to have doubts, as the

security information sent to him by his own security

apparatus, and (had) decided to descend on Borno State

Government Officials.

“If he has any doubt on such reports, are the Borno State

Government Officials who did [not issue] these official

security reports going to be held responsible and asked to

clarify what they have not written and reported? To us the

sum total action of the presidency tantamount to blaming

the victim, hence the purpose of our protest.

The office of President Goodluck Jonathan has yet to

respond publicly to the letter written by the two journalists.