Tag: Shettima

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima spent the Boxing Day with the 21 freed schoolgirls in Chibok town.
The girls have been in custody of the Federal Government in Abuja but were brought to Chibok to mark their first Christmas since abduction over two years ago. Soldiers and officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) escorted them to Chibok and remained their guards throughout Christmas.
Shettima hosted the girls at a Government building in Chibok. He was accompanied by Senate Majority Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South.
The girls were excited meeting Shettima again after their last meeting in Abuja when since their release. They presented a medium-sized framed picture Shettima took with them in Abuja, with a bold ‘THANK YOU’ printed on it. The frame also has individual pictures of each of the 21 girls.
Glory Dama presented the gift on behalf of her colleagues. She said they deeply appreciate the show of love by Governor Shettima and his wife, Nana Shettima, who has visited them countless times and always demanding to know their needs.
Governor Shettima told the girls that with their cheerful mood, the next concern had to be their future.
“As you know, 56 of your colleagues who escaped abduction are in two international schools since 2014. We are taking care of their educational needs from school fees to other basics. Left to me, I would want the 21 of you to join them in those so you can all feel at home and move on.
“However, the Federal Government has a plan which we will jointly discuss and come up with a decision that is acceptable to you our daughters. President Muhammadu Buhari loves you so much and he is deeply concerned about our daughters that are yet to be freed. He is working on that and we are all working,” Shettima said.
The governor also appointed Yakubu Nkeki, the Chairman of the association of the Chibok schoolgirls’ Parents as councillor of Mbalala ward in Chibok council.
“We appointed Yakubu Nkeki as councillor for him to have a formal platform to continue his advocacy for the welfare of the families of the missing Chibok girls; for him to ensure that they are given special consideration at all times by the local government on all issues, particularly on welfare, health, empowerment etc.
“Nkeki will also serve as a constant reminder to the council that there are parents like him who live in pains. He is simply there to advocate for the welfare of the parents and as a victim, he will stand by efforts of government to protect schools through community surveillance, in addition to formal security establishments,” Shettima added.

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has described the 2016 Christmas as his best season of celebration since he assumed office five years ago.
At the opening of the Maiduguri-Gubio-Damasak and Maiduguri-Monguno-Baga roads at the weekend, Shettima said 2016 signaled “Nigeria’s year of victory and Borno’s year of hope and liberation”.
His words: “I want start by declaring that since I became governor about five years ago, this is the best Christmas I have ever witnessed.
“This is the best December we ever witnessed and the year 2016 is my best year so far as governor. 2016, for me is Nigeria’s year of victory and Borno’s year of hope and resurrection.
“It is in 2016 that we began to have access to major roads like Gwoza, Bama, Dikwa, Monguno and Damasak, following their liberation by our gallant armed forces. It is this same year that major highways were reopened and we accelerated our major reconstruction of liberated cities.
“It is in this same year that we recovered some of our daughters abducted at Government Secondary School, Chibok in 2014. And fellow Nigerians, it is in this year that the Federal Republic of Nigeria established its supremacy over the Sambisa headquarters of the Boko Haram terrorists.
“For the government and people of Borno, there is no better Christmas and New Year gift that is more precious than conquering of Sambisa forest by our forces.”
Shettima thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, General Officer Commanding 7 and 8 Divisions in Borno, officers and men of the Army for subduing the terrorists.
He also acknowledged the roles played by officers and soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice in course of the war and prayed for the repose of their souls.

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday presented the Appropriation Bill of N183 million to the House of Assembly.

Tagged “Budget of Consolidation, Restoration and Rebirth”, N33 billion was allocated for the reconstruction of schools destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgency and construction of new ones.

The health sector got N19 billion, while Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement got N13 billion. Agriculture got N7 billion.

Shettima said education was worst hit by the Boko Haram attacks, maintaining that his administration is taking a major step to fix the laxities.

“Education is the sector which captures our attention the most. It is the area that has suffered the worst onslaught of the insurgency. Our experiences have shown that its inadequacy could be risky and its neglect could also be a recipe for insecurity even in the future.

“It is for this reason that the education sector alone is allocated N33 billion for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. The amount allocated is to enable us continue with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the infrastructure and facilities at the secondary and tertiary levels.

“The huge budgetary provision is also to enable the full take-off of our newly-recognised state university in 2017, and ensure that more facilities and structures are put in place to obtain accreditation of all courses billed to take-off next year,” Shettima said.

• Says Borno owes fallen Commander

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday presented N10million cheque to Samira, widow of army commander, Lt. Col Abu Ali killed in Malam-Fatori, headquarters of Abadam local government area in northern part of Borno State on November 4.

Ali was commanding officer of 272 Task Force Tank Battalion until he was killed with some soldiers following an ambush by Boko Haram fighters.

Shettima visited the family’s residence of the late Ali at UnguwarSarki in Kaduna where he met with the commander’s widow, three children and surviving mother.

Army spokesman Isa Gusaudisclosed these in a statement yesterday.

The governor instructed the N10million should be shared with N2m to the aged mother of the commander, N2m to the widow and N2m to each of the children in a fixed deposit.

He said: “The late Lt. Col. Muhammad Abu Ali gave Borno everything.

“He worked hard in leading troops to recover many communities and at the end he paid the supreme price by giving his life for us.

“The least we can do to him as government and people of Borno State is to not only pray for the repose of his soul but also to support those who depended on him for their livelihood.

“I am concerned about his immediate family .This money cannot replace his life. No amount can replace human life.”

Continuing, Shettima said: “We only want to support his family in the ways we can as humans. Please let us know if you need any more help.

“We will stand by this family and the families of our fallen heroes.

“I think one of the things that should console this family is the legacy the commanding officer left behind.”

THOSE doubting the sincerity of President Muhammadu Buhari  to rescue 219 Chibok schoolgirls more than two years ago should perish their doubts, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said yesterday.

He said the negotiation that culminated in yesterday’s release of 21 out of the girls by their Boko Haram abductors has proven the President’s sincerity.

The governor was reacting to the release of the 21 girls following the truce brokered by Red Cross International between the Federal Government and Boko Haram insurgents.

Shettima said: If any Nigerian had doubts about the sincerity and commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari  to the rescue of our precious daughters abducted by Boko Haram insurgents at Government Secondary School, Chibok on April 14, 2014, as well as his sincerity in rescuing all other victims and ending the Boko Haram insurgency, such doubts should be eliminated by the success of the negotiation that led to the release of 21 Chibok schoolgirls.”

Shettima’s reaction, contained in a statement by his spokesman Malam Isa Gusau reads: “ As people of Borno State, troubled by the deaths and destructions caused by Boko Haram insurgency, one of our major sources of strength since May 29, 2015, has been the undiluted sincerity in the president.

“We saw sincerity in President Buhari based on his administration’s absolutely genuine commitment towards recovering our schoolgirls, thousands of other women and children held in captivity as well as ending the insurgency in order to secure the lives of our citizens and make way for reconstruction, resettlement and other development programs and projects.

“We had faith in Buhari from the very day he took off as President. The steps he kept on taking in dealing with the insurgency continuously proved his sincerity. If any Nigerian or members of the international community had doubts about the sincerity and commitment of President Buhari  to the rescue of our precious daughters abducted by Boko Haram insurgents at Government Secondary School, Chibok, on April 14, 2014, the rescue of all other abducted Nigerians and very importantly, his sincerity in working towards ending the Boko Haram insurgency, such doubts must by now be laid to rest.

“This of course doesn’t mean that the rescue efforts are over. I am certain that the recovery of our 21 precious daughters from insurgency only strengthens the resolve of the Buhari administration to continue to work tirelessly until all the girls and all Nigerians abducted are freed and until the Boko Haram insurgency is brought to an end to guarantee public safety.

“I must hasten to strongly commend the Nigerian Armed Forces and all those who worked towards the recovery of these 21 daughters of Borno State. We shall forever be grateful to those who contributed in any form towards this major feat that renews our hope to recover all our girls alive and in good health.

“On our part, the Borno State government has long put in place a rehabilitation process that would work in partnership with the Federal Government and interested humanitarian partners to ensure proper medical evaluation, trauma management and other key steps for our daughters while we are very much ready to get them into the best schools of their choices like we have since done for the 56 girls who escaped abduction, all of whom are schooling in two International schools in the Northcentral and Northwest with their schools kept away from the public to ensure their privacy so as not to create publicity that could jeopardise their education.”

The governor left Abuja early yesterday on Presidential   aircraft as part of the Presidential delegation to Germany for discussions that would among others, focus on security and improving the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by the insurgents.

Borno sTATE  Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday described members of the Boko Haram as lunatics who hid under religion to destroy the state.

  He assured all that the government would reconstruct structures damaged by Boko Haram terrorists in the liberated border community of Damsak to enable residents return to their normal lives.

He spoke while addressing some residents in Damasak, headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area of the state.

The governor, who expressed sadness over the level of destruction by the terrorists, said: “It is sad that the lunatics chose to engage in wanton destruction of lives and property in the guise of religion.

“We will strive hard to ensure that all the structures destroyed are reconstructed within our limited resources.”

He said government would conduct a census of the damaged structures to determine the actual figure before embarking on the reconstruction programme.

He also promised to empower residents of the area financially to enable them to return to business.

He added that “Damasak has lots of historical and economical significance in the state because it is the lifewire of Borno North.

“We have to make sure that residents who are mainly farmers, fishermen and business merchants return to business.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the resident are eager to return home and pick up the pieces of their lives.

Malam Kyari Bukar, a resident, said the people were tired of staying as refugees in neighbouring Niger Republic.

He said “we are currently staying in Bosso in Niger Republic as refugees.

“We want to return home and continue with our economic activities; we are farmers and fishermen, we are tired of living as refugees.”

He, however, lamented that their homes had been destroyed by the terrorists, but stressed that “all the same, we want to go back since the military has liberated the area from the terrorists.

“If government can assist us to rebuild our homes and empower us to start something, we are ready to go back.”

Gov. Shettima also visited the Commander of the 145 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Damasak, where he commended the military for liberating the area from the terrorists.

He said: “We cannot thank you enough for the giant strides recorded in recapturing Damasak.”

“We are here fundamentally to thank you for all the sacrifices you made for us to have peace in this part of the country.”

He prayed for soldiers who died in the course of duty.

“May the souls of all those who paid the supreme price for us to have peace rest in peace; May God give the families the fortitude to bear the

losses,” he prayed.

The governor also pledged to tackle the problem of water shortage facing the troops.

He said:  “We will send a team from the Ministry of Water Resources to address the problem.”