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Tag: Shettima

  • Boko Haram: Shettima orders digging of 2km trenches to protect villagers

    Boko Haram: Shettima orders digging of 2km trenches to protect villagers

    Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has ordered the digging of about   two kilometer trenches around Ali Dawari village to check incessant attacks on residents by the terror sect Boko Haram.

    Troops are also to be deployed to the area for effective patrol of the farming community, a mere four kilometres south of Maiduguri, the state capital.

    Gov. Shettima who was in the village yesterday  to pay condolences to the people  over last  Sunday’s  attack in which  about 24 people were killed pledged  that security agents would  ensure 24hrs patrol in the community.

    “This is our land and there is no fear to run or retreat and by God’s willing, all the necessary measures to be taken will be implemented to protect lives and property in this village,” the governor said.

    “Right now, we are going to dig trenches on the northern flank of AlinDawari.  Soldiers and other security personnel and members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) will also be deployed to the village to protect it from these lunatics,” he said.

    The governor, speaking during an interaction with journalists, explained further, “We have just discussed with the villagers and their Head; and now their demands on how to secure them will be met, particularly their security of lives and property.

    “The villagers told me that once there is security, they are willing and ready to return before the end of this week. And right now I have come along with the Garrison Commander of the military, who will deploy more soldiers to this village.

    “Also I have discussed with the Borno State Deputy Commissioner of Police to deploy more policemen. And it is equally with the CJTF, which will volunteer to deploy 50-100 of its members to Ali Dawari for day and night patrols.

    “These villagers are our people. We have been elected to protect and improve their living conditions. It is not only during electioneering campaigns that we visit the people. They now need our presence as we live there at the Government House, Maiduguri. “There was no reason why we should not come here to commiserate and sympathize with them; and make sure we wipe off their tears.”

    “The most important thing is that those Boko Haram insurgents are not demons; they are people like us here in this state.

    “Since this is our land, we have no any other place to flee or run. And the most important thing was that we are more sincere than the insurgents. God is always with anyone that exercises patience and endurance,” Gov. Shettima explained.

    The village Head, Bulama Mallam informed Gov. Shettima that the villagers are leaving in droves since the attack, “If there is security in the village, my people will return before the end of next week; without any fear or hesitation.”

     

  • Shettima presents N155.7b Appropriation Bill

    Shettima presents N155.7b Appropriation Bill

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday  presented N155, 007, 345, 180.00 as Appropriation Bill for the 2016 fiscal year to the House of Assembly.

    Apparently due to the massive destruction of infrastructures, including schools, public buildings and communities by the Boko Haram insurgents, capital expenditures have gulped about 70 per cent of the total budget size.

    The budget, which was tagged Budget of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, is expected to be financed from a recurrent revenue of N155 billion comprising Federation Account Allocation and Internally Generated Revenue of N29 billion,” Shettima said.

    The capital expenditure is put at N103 billion, while the recurrent expenditure is about N51 billion, representing 70 per cent and 30 per cent allocation respectively.

    The governor also announced that 2016 budget size is less than that of 2015, including supplementary budget by 29.16 per cent due to the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account as a result of the falling oil price at the international market.

  • Borno deputy governor pledges loyalty to Shettima

    Borno deputy governor pledges loyalty to Shettima

    The newly-appointed Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Mamman Durkuwa, yesterday pledged loyalty to Governor Kashim Shettima.

    Durkuwa, who was sworn in on October 16, made the pledge while receiving members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), who paid him a congratulatory visit at his home in Maiduguri.

    He also pledged to be fair and just in the running of his office.

    “I want to thank Governor Kashim Shettima for finding me worthy of being the deputy governor.

    “I assure him of my loyalty and support in his quest to transform the state by implementing people-oriented programmes,” Durkuwa, a former commissioner for Poverty Alleviation said.

    He thanked members of the  House of Assembly for confirming his appointment.

    “I will like to pledge my readiness to work toward uplifting the standard of our people through commitment and dedication to duty,” Durkuwa said.

    He thanked members of the chapel for the visit and promised to be accessible to journalists in the conduct of his affairs.

  • Northern governors move to unmask Boko Haram sponsors

    Northern governors move to unmask Boko Haram sponsors

    … Raise panel to find sect’s backers

    The Northern States Governors’ Forum has inaugurated a committee to identify the sponsors of the Boko Haram sect and ensure their prosecution.

    The Chairman of the Forum, Governor Kashim Shettima who inaugurated the committee at Kaduna State House, Kawo, on Friday, also said the days of the sect are numbered considering the dislodgement of its members from their strongholds by the military.

    Shettima said the committee which would operate under the aegis of the Committee of Attorneys-General and Commissioners of Justice of the 19 northern states had the mandate to review the criminal justice system in the region as agreed by the northern governors during their last meeting.

    He said the inauguration of the committee has become imperative considering the complex problems of insurgency, cattle rustling, armed robbery, inciting preaching, and kidnapping confronting the northern states, adding that the panel has two months to complete its assignment.

    He said: “The committee should also look at the condemnable activities of the so called sponsors of the insurgency and come up with legally pragmatic, appropriate and proportionate punishment. The committee should also focus specifically on parents who because of pittance sacrifice their children as suicide bombers. Such parents must be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

    Specifically, the Borno State Governor said the committee should conduct a “thorough and meticulous review of the penal code as it exists with a view to pointing out its weaknesses and constraints in the overall administration of Criminal Justice System in the Northern states. ”

     

  • Shettima nominates ex-commissioner as deputy governor

    Shettima nominates ex-commissioner as deputy governor

    Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, has nominated the immediate past commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Youths Empowerment, Alhaji Usman Mamman Durkwa, as new deputy governor of the state.

    The nomination follows the death of the ex-deputy governor, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha, on August 15.

    A statement issued by the governor’s spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau, confirmed that Shettima forwarded Durkwa’s name to the speaker of the state House of Assembly, through a letter, on Monday.

    Shettima, according to the statement, acted in accordance with the powers conferred on him by Section 191 Sub-Section (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended).

    “I have the honour to convey vide this letter the name of Hon. Usman Mamman Durkwa for confirmation as Deputy Governor of Borno State following the demise of Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha on 15th August, 2015. ‎ I wish to reassure the Honourable House of the continuous cooperation of the Executive arm and solicit for confirmation of the nominee, please. Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration,” the statement quoted the governor as saying in his letter to the Assembly speaker.

     

  • Shettima creates Ministry of Resettlement

    Shettima creates Ministry of Resettlement

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday announced the creation of a ministry charged with reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of victims in the communities attacked by Boko Haram insurgents.

    He appointed Dr. Babagana Umara Zulum as the commissioner for the new ministry.

    The governor’s spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau, said in a statement emailed to reporters that Shettima appointed Dr. Zulum, the former rector of Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri,  because of his performance at the institution.

    The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Usman Jidda Shuwa, has announced the appointment of 20 commissioners.

    Dr. Mohammed Bulama retains his portfolio as the commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture; Adamu Alhaji Lawan heads the Ministry of Works and Transport; Hajiya Inna Galadima is the commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Youth Empowerment; Yerima Lawan Kareto heads the Trade, Investment and Tourism Ministry; Usman Ali Zanna is in charge of the Ministry of Local Government and Emirate Affairs; Mohammed Aliyu Dilli is the boss of Agriculture and Natural Resources Ministry; Zainab Gimba heads the Ministry of Water Resources; Dr. Haruna Mshelia is the commissioner for Health and Human Services; Sugum Mai Mile is the boss of Land and Survey Ministry and Babagana Tijjani Banking is the commissioner for Housing and Rural Electrification.

    Others include Ahmed Usman Jaha, commissioner for Higher Education; Abubakar Ibrahim Babale, Sport Development; Mohammed Kauji, Finance Budget and Planning; Fanta Baba Shehu, Women Affairs and Social Development; Musa Inuwa Kubo, Education; Waziri Imam, Environment; Kaka She hu Lawan, Justice Ministry; and Magaji Wandeo, Ministry of Animal Fisheries and Development.

    Ali Abatcha is the commissioner for Inter- Governmental and Special Duties and Mustapha Fannarambe is the commissioner for Religious Affairs.

    Governor Shettima has sworn-in caretaker chairmen of 27 local governments. He also swore-in Hassan Aminami as a permanent secretary.

    The governor urged the appointees to be hard working, to enable him meet his target.

  • Shettima stops birthday greetings to honour deputy

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has urged his friends, political associates and others planning to congratulate him on his 49th birthday to shelve advertisements.

    The governor said he took the decision to honour his deputy, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha, who died about three weeks ago, and victims of Boko Haram attacks.

    A statement yesterday in Maiduguri, the state capital, by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, said: “Mr Shettima has strongly appealed to his political appointees, political associates in the All Progressives Congress (APC), foreign and local contractors having dealings with the state, kinsmen, former colleagues in the Banking sector as well as friends in different parts of the country not to place any advertisement in newspapers, magazines, on television, in radio, online and social media platforms to congratulate him.

    “The restriction is to respect the memory of too many Borno residents killed by Boko Haram insurgents in recent and previous attacks as well as the utmost need to honour the  Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Mustapha, who died on August 15, less than three weeks ago.”

    The statement called for the people’s understanding and conveyed Shettima’s apologies for the inconveniences the directives may have caused them.

    It noted that the governor contacted some of his friends and associates he suspected were planning to place advertisements in the media.

    The statement urged “those willing to place adverts in the media to channel the funds to private organisations in Abuja and Maiduguri, especially those seeking funds to support …internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by insurgency attacks in Borno and other parts of the northeast”.

    It appealed to them to pray for the return of peace in Borno and other parts of Nigeria.

    The statement noted that it was not the first time Shettima was making such a decision.

    It added: “Governor Shettima had refused to allow any birthday party from taking place since becoming a governor in 2011, maintaining that he would only celebrate birthday, if necessary at all, when peace is completely restored in all parts of Borno State, with affected residents fully rehabilitated and reintegrated into reconstructed communities.

    “It could be recalled that in 2014, Governor Shettima had, as reported in the media, rejected a birthday bash by a group of his friends from Lagos and Abuja, who wanted the party as a surprise to mark the governor’s 48th birthday. The governor got wind of the plan, called the organisers to cancel the party the day it was to take place. He explained that it would be insensitive of him as governor of Borno to be partying while the residents were being killed as result of serial attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, who destroyed dozens of communities, rendering over 1.5 million internally displaced, besides forcing others to take refuge in neighbouring countries.”

     

  • Mustapha irreplaceable, says Shettima

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has showered encomiums on his deputy, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, who died on August 15.

    Shettima described the late Mustapha as irreplaceable and reliable.

    The governor, in a tribute yesterday, said Mustapha was “an honourable man and extremely loyal; a trusted deputy and ally.”

    He praised his dedication to service, stating that the late deputy “relished hard work and loved to carry out difficult tasks assigned to him and more importantly he possessed an uncanny ability to deliver and speedily too.”

    Borno, he said, will miss Mustapha, pointing out that the only way to immortalise him was to make the state “a bastion of good governance, an enduring model of excellence in sustainable development, a true home of peace and harmony.”

    Though he said the gap left by the demise of Mustapha must be filled, the deputy, according to him, is irreplaceable.

     

  • Borno deputy governor: Tinubu, Akande commiserate with Shettima

    Borno deputy governor: Tinubu, Akande commiserate with Shettima

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has commiserated with Borno State Governor Kasim Shettima on the death of his deputy, Zana Mustapha.

    Tinubu described the late politician as a committed party chieftain and a man of humility, adding that his loyalty to the party and his boss was total.

    The APC‘s national leader, who condoled with Borno State on behalf of Lagosians and the Southwest, urged the governor to take heart and embrace the reality with calmness.

    He prayed for the repose of Mustapha’s soul, saying God would give the governor the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Tinubu was accompanied on the visit to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, by the former APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and Southwest APC leader Chief Pius Akinyelure.

    Shettima thanked the party leaders for their support and solidarity at this trying period.

    Describing his deputy’s death as shocking, the governor said filling the vacuum created by his demise would be difficult.

    Shettima praised Tinubu for his contributions to the cause of power shift and change, adding that when the history of this political dispensation is written, his name would be written in gold.

    He said Tinubu’s contributions should be documented for future generation to learn from his sacrifices for the nation.

    The governor described the APC national leader as the symbol of a thriving tendency in the Southwest, urging him to keep the flag of national unity flying.

    Shettima said: “There are three tendencies in the Southwest political arena.

    ‘’The first are the Awoists. The second is Obasanjo/Afenifere, with a reluctance to embrace the North.

    The third are the ‘Tinubuists’, who should be credited for embracing the North by building a bridge across the Niger.

    ‘’This is a true nationalist spirit towards building a new Nigeria.”

     

  • Shettima urges Islamic scholars to fight insurgency

    Shettima urges Islamic scholars to fight insurgency

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shetitima has urged leading scholars with mass appeal, to discourage young men from being recruited into Boko Haram.

    The governor said the scholars should fight the ideology through preaching, noting that their silence on the matter would not help the situation.

    Shettima made the observation when he delivered a paper titled: “Democracy and Security in Northeast, Nigeria -a case study of Borno” at a fellowship and award dinner organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    The event took place at Sheraton Hotel in Abuja.

    He said: “Changing the ideology of the Boko Haram will require intellectual roles by leading Islamic scholars with mass appeal. It is most disturbing to note that today in northern Nigeria, there is no single Islamic scholar that preaches against the Boko Haram ideology and the reason is because everyone is afraid.

    “Leading scholars like Sheikh Jaafar Mahmud Adam and Sheikh Albani Zaria who vehemently preached against the ideology have been killed. In Maiduguri, scholars like Sheikh Ibrahim Gomari, Malam Bashir Gomari and over 30 different scholars who were opposed to the Boko Haram ideology have all been killed.

    “Today, the only group in the north that can speak against the sect are holders of public offices, who have security men surrounding them. It is hugely important for us to identify Islamic scholars with the intellectual depth and mass followers to change the Boko Haram narrative so that we can save young souls from listening to the sect.”

    The governor explained that the scholars must be provided with the support.

    Shettima added: “They must be with maximum security not only them, but their families as much as public office holders are adequately protected. These scholars will be performing very important national security assignments that are as important as those of any public office holder, no matter how highly placed.”

    The governor blamed the trend on the democratic institutions, for failing to address the problem at the early stage.

    He also blamed leaders and himself for not rising up to the occasion and the journalists for unknowingly helping insurgents.

    The governor said: “We all have roles to play in addressing the insurgency because we all contributed in the making whether by indifference; by directly fueling it; by failing to address it or by standing in the ways of those who make efforts to address the problems. No active group is free from blame, from those of us who are political actors to even journalists. Shettima said, in exercising its freedom of expression and sharing of information, the media has had running battles with those in the position of authority; especially security agencies. He said security agencies devise strategies aimed at fighting insurgents, but these strategies end up being disclosed by the media. He added: “In some cases, deployments made to haunt insurgents get reported, thus giving insurgents clues about number of boots coming after them, sometimes including telling the world the routes being taken by troops. Insurgents in turn prepare to ambush troops. Apart from these instances, certain avoidable reports give undue superiority to Boko Haram, which boost their confidence. In fact, disorganized commanders of boko haram rely on the media to reach their fighters.  I remember with serious concerns, how a particular media house reported in April, 2015, that leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau was calling on his followers to continue fighting and not to relent in their struggles. A national and otherwise respected media house reported this. I also remember how another media house reported someone calling himself a soldier, alleging that Nigerian troops were behind Boko Haram attacks and I was wondering how unreasonable it was for someone to declare that his only eyes with which he sees are rotten, when the alternative to those eyes, is simply blindness. “What do we do if we are made to believe that those who are our only hope are those killing us? That would be a hopeless situation. These instances however, are not to say that the media hasn’t helped in the fight against Boko Haram. “The media has done far more positive things than posing some challenges. Journalists even sacrificed their lives in an attempt to expose activities of insurgents. The media remains a hero in the fight against insurgency.”