MULTIPLE BLASTS WELCOME APC GOVERNORS IN BORNO

–Party donates N200m to Boko Haram victims

Multiple explosions yesterday killed three soldiers and several civilians at the time nine state governors of the new All Progressives Congress (APC) were meeting in Maiduguri, the troubled capital of Borno state.

The governors, who arrived in Maiduguri on several chartered aircraft, held their meeting behind closed doors that lasted three hours at the Government House.

The first blast, which occurred at about noon, was targeted at a patrol vehicle, leading to the death of three soldiers and an unconfirmed number of civilians.

A source from inside the Government House told Blueprint that the Department of State Security (DSS) had, days back, advised the state government about a planned attack on the day the APC governors would be meeting in the state capital, but the advise was not taken seriously.

Journalists could not get details of casualties in three other blasts that preceded the first one.

Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who read a one-page communique on behalf of the other governors, said the forum of the progressive governors reiterated its “incontrovertible commitment to the emergence of the new party, APC.”

He noted that the group had chosen to hold the meeting in Borno as part of its show of solidarity with the citizens of Borno and Yobe states over the security challenges and decided to donate a token of N200 million to the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in both states.

The Forum’s communique said: “Contrary to the image of rampant violence that has been painted to the world, we have discovered the people going about their businesses without hindrance… We also sympathise with the families of those who lost their lives and properties and wish to donate a sum of N200 million to the two state governments for emergency relief and support.”

Aregbesola, who read the communique after his counterparts from Edo and his Ekiti states, Adams Oshiomole and Kayode Fayemi respectively, serenaded the session with solidarity lyrics, commended the Central Merger Committee for recently inaugurating three major committees on Constitution, Manifesto and Legal/INEC compliance.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state explained that the forum chose to meet in Maiduguri in spite of the fear of insecurity to tell the central government that in times of crisis the leadership ought to show courage rather than alienate states that are in serious need of support and compassion.

The governors also acknowledged that several PDP governors and senators are in secret contact with the APC in respect of joining the party once it becomes registered.

Those at the meeting included the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Adams Oshiomole of Edo, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and Deputy Governor Abubakar Aliyu of Yobe state.

The eight visiting governors visited the Maiduguri Monday market amidst tight security where they assured citizens that the much needed peace would soon return to the state, as long as they continued to support the state governor.

They also visited Government College, Maiduguri, before they departed the state at about 5.30pm.

Spokesman of the military Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt Col Sagir Musa, who said he was not in the state as at the time of the blasts, later sent an SMS statement in which he said, “One soldier was injured, a civilian killed and two other civilians seriously injured.”

Source: Blueprint