Secretary to the Borno State Government, SSG, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, has described the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, as a pathological liar, for telling Nigerians that both the minister of State for education and WAEC had written to the governor not to allow exams go on in Chibok, but that the governor insisted.
"I did not know Muazu a former Governor in the northeast that is suffering this crisis, to be a pathological liar. I don't know if any of you watched the Channels Television today, (Thursday), they showed Muazu telling lies for me to react, it was on air, the world saw him misleading the world. I took the letters he is misquoting with me and the panelists all read it. There was no where any of the letters asked us not to conduct exams in Chibok. This is the letter, all of you should look at it. Muazu didn't read the letter before he went to the media to speak out of outright ignorance and falsehood. This is very unfortunate.
"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 to all the centers throughout the duration of the exams as per WAEC request.
"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.
Muazu was shown on live pictures in a repeat broadcast by Channels Television interview which he alleged that Governor Shettima knows there was a letter from both the WAEC and the education minister, specifically to the effect that Government Secondary School Chibok was not safe for the 2014 WAEC exams but he (Shettima) disregarded it.
But Baba Ahmed Jidda, while speaking with Journalists in Lagos, showed the reporters the letters from both the minister and WAEC, challenged Nigerian Journalists to ask Muazu and his likes, to produce the letters they are referring to, which asked the State government not to conduct exams at Chibok.
On his part, the Borno State SSG showed the reporters the letter Borno Government wrote to the Police, asking it to provide security on daily basis, to all exams centres, including the school in Chibok, based on the request, made by WAEC.
"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. Here is a copy of the letter, you go through it and make your own judgment.
"So, I see Muazu's claim as not only ridiculous, but one that smacks of mischief. I have known him for a long time, but I did not know he could go to this length, all in the name of politics.
"But he should know that he should not be dabbling into executive matters. He is a Chairman of a political party not the SGF. May be, we will ask our National Chairman, chief Bisi Akande, to also reply him," the SSG added.
Reacting to question on allegations that the Governor flew out of the country to stop President Jonathan's planned visit to Chibok, the SSG said, the story wasn't true.
In his words: "While we were in London for a visit of less than 48 hours as soon as we got information that the President would on his way to France, 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 visit had been called off. They actually wrote to us giving us just a day notice which is unusual but perhaps for security reasons they planned it so and we were in Maiduguri with the Governor, he waited at the airport after his arrival from London through Abuja to Maiduguri
"In fact, I was even telling the governor before we returned to Borno that normally, if the President was going on a state visit, they give at least one week notice, to prepare. But in this one, we had less than 24 hours notice. And my governor said we just have to return irrespective of the short notice.
"So this shows you the governor is willing and ready to cooperate with the Federal government to end this insurgency. And I must say that we must stop the blame game now, and concentrate our energies on how to bring back our daughters who are still in captivity. If not for the lies being told every now and again, we never wanted to make these letters public. But we have been pushed to the wall, that is why we are doing this now," the SSG, declared.
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