10th June, 2012
The Borno Government has ruled out the possibility of conducting local government polls in the state soon because of security challenges in the area, created by the unrelenting insurgency of Boko Haram militants and suicide bombers.
Alhaji Baba Jidda, the Secretary to the State Government, told newsmen Maiduguri on Saturday that it was impossible for government to organise the elections when majority of the people were living in fear.
“Government plans to conduct the polls as soon as the security situation improves in the state.
“Government is not interested in delaying the polls because we do not have anything to hide, it is just that the security situation has not improved,” he said.
Jidda said the law empowers the state governor to appoint caretaker committees to run the 27 councils in the state pending the conduct of elections.
“The appointment of the caretaker committee is in line with the Local Government Council (LGC) Act 2,000 of the state. So long as the security situation remains, the caretaker committees will remain,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government to help create a conducive atmosphere for the elections.
“We are not afraid of losing the elections in anyway, we are just waiting for conducive atmosphere to conduct the polls,”Jidda said.
Borno state and the neighboring Yobe have borne the brunt of the attacks by the Islamic insurgents. On Friday, a suicide bomber drove into the headquarters of the Borno Police Command, killing at least eight persons when his vehicle exploded at the gate when he was stopped.
Over 1200 people have been killed as a result of the activities of the sect and the counter attacks by the Nigerian government Joint task Force.