By Baba Yusuf
Abuja
The Borno Elders Forum, an umbrella body of elders in Borno state, has condemned statements attributed to the First Lady, Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan, in which she was reported to have said that Governor Kashim Shettima, as Chief Security Officer of the state, should be held responsible for the abduction of Chibok school girls.
Spokesperson of the Forum, Bulama Mali Gubio, said in a statement that the First Lady “spoke out of ignorance because Borno is under a State of Emergency and by that powers of control over security have been withdrawn from the governor and vested on the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who exercises the powers through the Chief of Defence Staff or the Chief of Army Staff.”
The statement said: “We have listened to be very disturbing remarks of our First Lady saying Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima should be held responsible as he is the Chief Security Officer of Borno state. It is very important we remind her that the Emergency declared by her dear husband, Mr President, is still in force and this means, the constitutional powers of the governor as Chief Security Officer have been temporarily withdrawn by the President in accordance with Section 305 of the Constitution which the President relied upon.
The President is at the moment the chief security officer of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states while the governors have administrative powers as democratic structures in compliance with the provisions of the constitution.”