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Tag: Shettima

  • APC governors commiserate with Shettima

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum yesterday commiserated with the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, on the death of his deputy, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha.

    The Imo State Governor and Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha, in a letter by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, described the death of the Borno deputy governor as shocking.

    The letter, issued on behalf of the APC Governors, said: “On behalf of the APC governors I extend my heartfelt condolences to our colleague, the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, on the shocking death of his deputy, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha.

    “The news of the death of Alhaji Mustapha came to us as a rude shock, because nobody would have expected the death of the gentle deputy governor at this time, especially when the good people of Borno State in particular and Nigerians in general had wished to reap from his wealth of experience in the current dispensation.

    “The APC governors would stand by the Borno State governor in this moment of grief and would also wish to ask the governor to see the demise of his deputy as an act of Allah because if that was not the case, the deputy governor would have remained alive.”

    The APC governors prayed that the Almighty God would grant the Borno State governor, the people of the state and those the late deputy governor left behind the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. They prayed that Allah would grant the deceased eternal rest.

    Imo State Deputy Governor Eze Madumere has joined other well-meaning Nigerians to mourn the unfortunate and shocking demise of his Borno State counterpart.

    Madumere, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Uche Onwuchekwa, described the late Zannah as a young and vibrant politician.

    The Imo deputy governor, who said the late politician was his close friend and associate, said he received the unfortunate news of Zanna’s death with shock, adding: “He died at his prime when his experience and sense of responsibility are needed most.”

    He prayed God to grant his family and the people of Borno State the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

  • Gaidam expresses shock, commiserates with Shettima

    Gaidam expresses shock, commiserates with Shettima

    The governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Gaidam, has expressed shock over the death of Borno State Deputy Governor, Zanna Umar Mustapha, who died in the early hours of Saturday in Yola, Adamawa State.

    Gaidam, in a statement from his Director of Press Affairs, Abdullahi Bego, also conveyed his condolence to Governor Kashim Shettima and the entire people of Borno State over the loss.

    The statement reads: “His Excellency, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, has received with deep shock and sadness the news of the passing away of Borno State Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Zanna Mustapha.

    “The governor’s thoughts and prayers are with the family of the late deputy governor and the government and people of Borno State at this time of great loss.

    “Throughout his tenure as deputy governor, Alhaji Zanna Mustapha has identified closely with the vision of His Excellency Governor Kashim Shettima in doing everything necessary to provide succour to the people, especially those affected by the mindless and bloody insurgency of Boko Haram.

    “His work in helping to coordinate support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be particularly missed by all and sundry.

    “On behalf of the government and people of Yobe State, therefore, His Excellency, Governor Gaidam, extends his heartfelt condolences to the family of the late deputy governor and to the government and people of Borno State.

    “The governor prays Almighty Allah (SWT) to forgive his shortcomings, admit him to al-Jannatul Firdausi and give his family as well as the government and people of Borno State the fortitude to bear the loss.”

  • Mission to liquidate insurgency now or never, says Shettima

    Mission to liquidate insurgency now or never, says Shettima

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima is hopeful that the insurgency battle will soon be over, with the appointment of new service chiefs, reports VICTOR IZEKOR

    Happy days are here for Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, who once lamented how he was being treated under former President Goodluck Jonathan. As governor of a state, which is the epicentre of Boko Haram insurgency, Shettima was kept in the dark about security issues in his domain by the then government. He was not invited to security meetings neither was he informed of postings of security personnel. Borno is close to Chad, Cameroun and Niger, the three countries which Boko Haram either uses as a launch pad or crosses into after attacking Nigerian communities.

    In the negotiations with those countries on how to stem the Boko Haram insurgency, the Jonathan administration also did not carry Shettima along. The governor may have drawn the ire of the government then because of his declaration that the military was not as equipped as the Boko Haram insurgents.

    Following that statement, the soldiers deployed in the Government House in Maiduguri, the state capital, were withdrawn and replaced with policemen. During Jonathan’s visit to troops in Baga after the town was recaptured from insurgents, Shettima, as host governor, was not on hand to receive him. Reason: he was not aware of the former president’s visit. Watchers felt the federal and state governments should collaborate on the war against insurgency and as such were worried by the development. To elder statesman, Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno, the federal and state governments must work together to defeat Boko Haram. He lamented what he called the communication gap between the two tiers of government, saying it was not good for insurgency battle.

    Faced by what he felt was an adverse situation, Shettima declared: “I am an unhappy man.” With his state under Boko Haram siege, he was not getting help from the Jonathan administration, which should have supported him with men and materials. Why was this so? Was it because Jonathan and Shettima are not members of the same party? Things are now looking up for the “unhappy” governor. The appointment of new service chiefs on July 13 seems to have made Shettima a happy man. Two indigenes of his state are among the security chiefs. They are the National Security Advisers (NSA), Maj. Gen Babagana Monguno and Chief of Army Staff, Maj- Gen. Tukur Buratai.

    Speaking when he hosted the Lt. Gen. T. Y. Danjuma-led Insurgency Victims Support Fund in Maiduguri, Shettima expressed joy at their appointment. According to him, with the duo working in concert with other top security chiefs, the battle to liquidate insurgency is now or never. This, he said, is the best opportunity to curb the insurgents’ excesses. He said President Muhammadu Buhari’s choice of Monguno and Buratai as NSA and COAS was a “classic case of putting square pegs in square holes because both men have been given the mandate of liberating their state, which is the epicentre of Boko Haram activities”.

    Shettima said: “Monday, July 13 was the happiest moment of my life. President Muhammadu Buhari made a strong statement by his decision to appoint two highly competent sons of Borno to the offices of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Army Staff. I think his strategy was to get people with ancestral knowledge of the Borno terrain. Maj. Gen. Tukur Buratai is even a direct victim of Boko Haram attacks. He lost family members when his residence was attacked earlier this year in Buratai, a town in Biu local government area. Monguno was destroyed and once occupied by Boko Haram and that is where the new NSA, retired Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno hails from. In fact, a key family member of General Monguno is still being held captive by Boko Haram insurgents.

    “These two Generals are from Borno, they know exactly where it pinches and most importantly, they understand the terrain and can easily connect with communities to get local support. Added to them is also the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar who hails from Bauchi, also in the Northeast. AVM Abubakar spent many of his formative years in the military here in Borno State. He spent over 10 years in Borno; he knows the terrain very well also and can connect with the people. I think for us, it is now or never because the President has generously put sons of Borno and the Northeast to lead the battle for the freedom of Borno, the Northeast and the rest of Nigeria, from the murderous threats of insurgents”.

    Since Buhari assumed office on May 29, there has been a thaw in relationship between the federal and Borno State governments. Unlike in the past, Shettima is now being recognised by the Federal Government. He was a member of the Federal Government delegation to Chad and Niger where the joint military operations of Nigeria and its neighbouring countries against insurgency were discussed.

    Shettima was also a member of the Federal Government delegation to the United States where securities and other issues were thrashed out. The Federal Government through the National Emergency Reflief Agency (NEMA) has also relieved Borno State of the burden of maintaining millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), a programme, which costs billions of naira. Under the Jonathan administration, the state bore the huge cost of the programme as the Federal Government only gave it N200 million for the scheme. The Federal Government also distributed relief materials to the IDPs at random.

    • Izekor, a journalist, wrote from Maiduguri
  • Shettima cheers up IDPs at meal

    Shettima cheers up IDPs at meal

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima’s meal with Internally Displaced Persons or IDPs lifted their spirits at a Maiduguri camp, DUKU JOEL reports

    The pain and frustration of camp life were apparent, worsened by having to observe Ramadan, one of the most important Islamic injunctions, away from home. Yet, the somber mood gave way as the governor spoke with Internally Displaced Persons IDPs over a meal at their camp.

    The camp kids skipped around innocently, contrasting with their parents’ somber mood. Boko Haram has dealt a severe blow to them, dislodging them from their homes and leaving them no choice but to observe the Ramadan fast at a relief camp. It hurt.

    Amedu Shettima, of Bama nativity, said it was the first time he was fasting at a displaced persons camp.

    Bulama Shehu said, “Whatever they give us here cannot be enough for us. It is painful because those of us that used to feed people during fasting are now being fed. I never imagined I will be in this terrible situation but I cannot question what my creator has destined as a Muslim,” he said.

    “I cannot wait to get out of this place to resume my normal life. This is the feeling of everybody that you see around in this camp. We cannot pretend; life is not normal here at all. Let the government finish with Boko Haram for us to go back,” pleaded Jibril Sani, a father seven.

    For many who spoke with our correspondents, their feelings, thoughts, pains, anxiety, were all the same and they cannot wait to see the end of the crisis so as to restart their lives.

    Governor Shettima seemed aware of the suffering of  his people, organising an ‘iftar’ (breaking of Ramadan  fast) at an IDP camp located at Yerwa Girls College in Maiduguri in the spirit of the season. The iftar was attended by the Emir of Bama, Alhaji Kyari Ibn Ibrahim El-Kanemi who has also been displaced following the destruction of his palace and occupation of Bama by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014.

    It is the atmosphere of despair Borno State has started feeling the impacts of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration, Governor Kashim Shettima told Internally Displaced Persons in Maiduguri.

    Shettima arrived one of the 20 camps accommodating  part of the people of Bama who have the largest number of displaced persons at about 6:15pm joined the IDPs in congregation for  the ‘Magrib’ prayers at sunset  before settling down to enjoy the breaking of fast with about 2,000 displaced persons.ý

    To ensure a hitch-free event that lasted about two hours, a combined team of security men and youth volunteers provided enough security for the smooth but emotionally charged event at which the governor addressed the IDPs in both English and Kanuri. He informed them that Borno has already begun to feel the impact of the Buhari-led Federal  Government as it has now taken over most responsibilities in funding activities across about 20 IDP camps in Maiduguri unlike in the past when  the state government shouldered most of the responsibilities under the PDP administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “We have started feeling the impact of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.  For instance, from 2013 when we started establishing camps for displaced persons in Biu for the people of Damboa and to the number of camps we have now, the Borno State Government was solely bearing the biggest burden of funding these IDP camps.

    “Today, with the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Federal Government, through the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), has taken over so many responsibilities in these camps and this is how it ought to be ab initio. Today, under the Buhari administration, we have a NEMA that has accelerated its presence in Borno. The agency was doing so much even before the APC administration given the kind of Federal Government they had but the difference in NEMA’s approach today is far different from what it obtained before,” Shettima noted.

    Throwing more light on some of the things the Buhari led APC administration is doing to end the insurgency, he said,

    “ýEarly this (last) week, governors met with Mr President on the state of the nation and one of the President’s renewed assurances was on the fight against the insurgents and  a firm pledge to offer special support to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. ýI am very confident that this APC-led Federal Government will support Borno State in its healing process and all of you that are internally displaced within and outside Borno as well as those taking refuge outside Nigeria, will insha Allah be supported back on your feet and you will be reintegrated into your communities that will be reconstructed be iznillah.

    “We have the will, we have people that are ready to work, we have a Federal Government that is ready to support and we are ready to deploy whatever resources at our disposal to reconstruct destroyed communities. And let me also say, that supporting you is not a privilege, it is your rights to be supported and it is our constitutional and moral obligation to support all of you,” Shettima explained.

    The ýGovernor while emphasizing the plight of the IDPs urged well-meaning citizens to show love and support for them, maintain that no one was beyond facing challenges in life.

    “Whenever I move from my residence to my office inside the Government House or when I move round Maiduguri and see some of the beautiful estates we are constructing or when I drive through our new hospitals, schools and streetlights, I see the Borno of my vision not the real Borno that is faced with challenges.

    “I then discovered that whenever I am around Internally Displaced Persons camps, I see the real Borno as things are today. And from the faces of the people I see in the camps, I always take with me two messages. On one hand, I see despair, I see pity and shattered dreams on the faces of many. On some others, I see strength and hope that are true to the indomitable spirit of Borno men and women.

    “I love to visit IDPs and whenever I am coming I try to come with as many people as possible so that whoever has no displaced relation or friend in his house here in Maiduguri, will on coming here, be reminded that hundreds of thousands of Borno citizens are in distress. Those of us, who may not be displaced today, would need to know that we are not superior to those who found themselves in the condition they are today.

    “They are not displaced because Allah doesn’t like them; Allah is only testing their faith as He tries everyone through one challenge or the other. We must therefore support our brothers and sisters that are displaced. Our support may not have to do with camps only, if you have displaced persons in your neighborhood, please extend support to  them and show them love and affection. The IDPs are us and we are them,” Shettima admonished

    While the event came to an end, the message of the governor was clear on the minds of the displaced people as the atmosphere became more congenial.

    “What the people wanted to hear is what the governor told them; re-assurances,” a senior government official whispered.

  • Maiduguri Airport’s closure was politically-motivated, says Shettima

    Maiduguri Airport’s closure was politically-motivated, says Shettima

    The Re-opening of the Maiduguri International Airport will attract investment to the Northeast, Borno State Governor Ibrahim Shettima has said.

    The region has been grappling with Boko Haram insurgency.

    Shettima spoke last weekend   when Medview Airlines began scheduled flights into the airport.

    The airport was closed 18 months ago, in the heat of the insurgency.

    Shettima said it was wrong of the Federal Government to have shut the  airport, alleging that it was  politically motivated.

    He said even in war-torn countries, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, airports were not shut, adding that in some parts of  Middle East, including Syria and Lebanon, airports remain open, despite hostilities .

    Any government that is conscious of the role airports as critical infrastructure could play in economic growth would not shut down airports for almost two years, the governor said. Shettima said the government was working with relevant security agencies and aviation authorities to ensure seamless operations at the airport.

    He described airports as an important transport infrastructure that accelerates development, insisting that the re-opened airport would, once again, restore Borno and surrounding states to their glory in the transportation of agricultural produce.

    The governor noted that pilgrims for this years’ Haji would travel by road to Kano, Jigawa or Gombe to connect their flights to Saudi Arabia.

    He appealed to investors to come and invest in the state, saying:”We thank God that the Maiduguri Airport has been re-opened for scheduled flight operations. It was due to collaborative efforts by relevant authrities. “ It is a great day for the people of Borno State, the airport has been finally re-opened.   “It is evidence of the good relationship between the people of the state and the Federal Government. but, it is highly regrettable and it defies logic and common sense that about six million people were deprived of the use of this airport because of the activities of some people .

    “It was wrong for this airport to have been closed in the first instance because normal flight activities are going on even in some so called hot spots in the world including Bagdad and Kabul.”

    Shettima said the airport would create access for people to travel for business and leisure.

    He spoke of assurances by Medview to continue the flight to ensure Borno is linked to other airports. He said the state would collaborate with the airlines to sustain flights, calling on relevant security agencies to step up efforts to improve security at the airport.

    Medview Airlines Chief Executive Alhaji Muneer Bankole said the airline began flights into the airport following safety assurance by security agencies.

    “Our decision to commence flights to Maiduguri was informed by the need to link up the people of this region to other parts of the country,”  he said.

    The four flights from Lagos to Maiduguri will be routed via Abuja.

     

  • Shettima appoints SSG, advisers, others

    Shettima appoints SSG, advisers, others

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima  has announced the appointment of Alhaji Usman Shuwa Jidda as the Secretary to the Government (SSG).

    Yakubu Bukar and Alhaji Modu Musa retained  their positions as the Head of Service (HOS) and the Chief of Staff (CoS) respectively.

    The appointment  was contained in a press statement signed by the Permanent Secretary (Administration and General Services), Dr. Maryam Bukar Ibrahim.

    According to the statement,  Alhaji Isa Umar Gusau has also been re-appointed  as Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy to Shettima.

    Others who also retained their posts are:  Alhaji Usman Kumo, as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media (Radio), and  Miss Kwapchi Bata Dibal  as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media (television); Yusuf Usman Shettima and Abba Bashir Talbari, SSAs (Social Media); Baba Zannah Abdulkarim, SSA (Special Projects); Mustapha Mohammed Kukawa and Christopher Godwin Akaba, SSAs (Special Duties).

    The new SSG is 57 years old. He  studied law at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He had been at various times Registrar of Borno College of Legal and Islamic Studies (BOCOLIS).

    He had  taught at the University of Maiduguri. He was also a  Director of Administration at Borno State Agricultural Development Programme (BOSADP). He is the former Executive Chairman of Borno State Teaching Service Board.

    While congratulating the appointees, Shettima urged them to continue to contribute their quota in the discharge of their duties towards development of Borno State.

     

  • Photo: Shettima, Fashola on Buhari’s entourage

    Photo: Shettima, Fashola on Buhari’s entourage

    Former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN (left) and Bornu State Governor, Kashim Shettima before the departure of President Muhammadu Buhari to the G7 Summit which began in Bavaria, Germany on Sunday, 7 June 2015.
    Former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN (left) and Bornu State Governor, Kashim Shettima before the departure of President Muhammadu Buhari to the G7 Summit which began in Bavaria, Germany on Sunday, 7 June 2015.

  • Shettima: Boko Haram implant ‘successors’ in raped women

    Boko Haram insurgents deliberately raped women with to get them pregnant so they would give birth to future insurgents as successors of their violent struggles, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has said.

    The governor said there is need for a special programme to break the chain of succession the insurgents anticipated.

    He said studies on the practices associated with insurgency showed that insurgents believed that whoever did not share their ideology was an infidel.

    Shettima said his wife and property could be freely acquired by the sect’s members with the wives serving as slaves to satisfy the sexual pleasure of their masters.

    The governor also said members of the sect believed that children fathered by them would share their ideology later in life and succeed their parents to keep the cycle going.

    Shettima spoke when hundreds of women and children were rescued by the military in Borno State amidst reports that some of the women were pregnant even though it was not clear whether they became pregnant in captivity or were captured with pregnancies.

    A statement in Maiduguri, the state capital, by the governor’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, said Shettima addressed some government officials at a closed-door meeting at the weekend.

    The statement said: “I am happy with the recovery of hundreds of women and children. It is a thing of joy that they have been freed alive. However, I am also very worried about what the future holds for us, if what I have gathered about these insurgents works according to their plan.

    “I remember discussing this in an elaborate interview I granted the Sunday Trust last year. These people (Boko Haram) have a certain spiritual conviction that any child they father will grow to inherit their ideology, whether they live with the children or not. They also believe that whoever does not hold their ideology is an unbeliever that should be killed and rendered homeless and whatever belongs to him or her becomes a legitimate booty recovered from enemies. “This booty includes women that are then allocated to ranking leaders of the sect as sex slaves. The sect leaders make very conscious effort to impregnate the women, some of them, I was told, even pray before mating, offering supplications to God to make the products of what they are about doing become children that will inherit their ideology.

    “After getting their captives pregnant, they keep them to allow the pregnancies mature to an extent of say four or more months to make abortion difficult or impossible for the women due to life threats in carrying out abortions at that level. They abandon the women afterwards to go and give birth anywhere else.

    “In most cases, the women return home or get help from traditional birth attendants. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in some cases, some of the women deliver in captivity and the children grow to four or five years since the sect has been operating for years. Perhaps the Sambissa (Forest) camps might have been in existence since 2009 or afterwards.

    “The sect is known to usually have medical teams and makeshift clinics for treating injured men and other health challenges. I do not have any official information yet regarding these issues but I have read from some online media houses that many girls were rescued with visible pregnancies and some with newly born babies.

    “Of course, I expect our security agencies to establish the paternity of all children recovered from interactions with the victims and other forms of investigation.

    “My major concern is how we, as stakeholders from the Federal and state governments, will manage women that might be affected. I am seriously worried with the fact that most women tend to hate and abandon children they deliver from rape…”

     

  • Shettima on my mind

    FOR the first time, I decided to reproduce a previously published article. With the country’s general elections concluded, I reflected on the incoming state governors, particularly Kashim Shettima of Borno State who has been reelected for a second term. He was my focus in the piece “My Governor of the Year 2013” published on December 30, 2013, which is reproduced here.   

    It took only 30 minutes for Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima to qualify for the accolade, and his eligibility was perfected in highly remarkable circumstances. Shettima on December 15 reportedly departed from Abuja on a 7pm Arik flight to Lagos, where he was scheduled to participate in three meetings. A little over two hours after he left the federal capital, specifically at 9.15pm, the governor was having dinner at Mummy B Food Canteen, located in Onigbongbo, Maryland, Lagos, which he last visited some 20 years ago. He was drawn to the local restaurant with only four tables for 10 customers at a time by his love of amala, which he reportedly “missed so much”.

    So irresistible was his craving for the particular food, prepared in a particular way, that it was Shettima who gave directions to the official convoy, and he reportedly trekked to the eating spot in the company of two commissioners, his special adviser on media, staff of Borno Laison Office in Lagos and security aides. Interestingly, he was recognised as an old customer by the restaurant owner, Iya Moriya; and for his meal, he insisted on being served with the same kind of plates he was used to two decades ago. By the time he left the place at 9.45pm, word had travelled round the neighbourhood that a VIP was around.

    In significant ways, Shettima’s amala activity represents an enlightening metaphor for political leadership in a pluralistic polity. To start with, the 47-year-old leader born in Maiduguri, Borno State, in the country’s northern region, demonstrated that he was ethnically accommodating by his taste for food of a different cultural provenance from his own. Amala is a cultural dish popular among the Yoruba in the country’s Southwest region, and to have a northerner who would readily eat it without discrimination is a plus for Shettima’s pan-Nigerian credentials.

    Furthermore, it is commendable that Shettima remembered. Not only did he have a clear memory of the enjoyable taste of the particularamala, he also could recollect the route to the restaurant, even though he had not been there in years. It is striking that he even remembered the plates of yesteryear. More importantly, perhaps, he remembered that he had not always been a governor and that he had a past. His remembrance of things past mirrored his modesty, despite the context of high political office.

    In a manner of speaking, Shettima’s interaction with the restaurant workers can be likened to a descent from an Olympian height. It was a rare event that held lessons for the powerful. He certainly could have avoided eating in the lowly restaurant, given the fact that he had people at his beck and call that could have gone there to get a take-away meal for their boss. It is pertinent to wonder at the cost of eating in such a cheap restaurant, when he could have opted for a five-star hotel in the megacity, all at government expense.

    What was Iya Moriya’s recipe that made her amala so unforgettable for Shettima? His visit to the eating place must have made her day, not necessarily in financial terms, but on the psychological plane. Shettima returned to her restaurant as a governor, which was something to be proud of; and the happening may well have elevated her profile in the area, apart from giving her understandable bragging rights. By his association with the people, and his electrifying presence, therefore, Shettima scored well.

    For the avoidance of doubt, it is relevant to highlight Shettima’s education and exposure for the benefit of the narrow-minded who might consider his behaviour as perhaps informed by possible lack of sophistication. A Masters degree holder in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, and a former lecturer in the same subject at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, and a one-time top-level banker, he served as Commissioner of the Borno State Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Commissioner in the Ministries of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Education, Agriculture and later Health before his election as governor in 2011 on the platform of the then All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), which this year merged with others to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    It is significant that Shettima governs the terrorised Borno State, which is currently under emergency rule imposed by the federal government, along with Adamawa and Yobe states, in a controversial anti-terror measure specifically introduced to check the murderously rampaging Islamic religionists known as Boko Haram. It is a reflection of his sensitivity that he lately overlooked his personal security in a visit to Bama local government area of the state, which is officially regarded as exposed to Boko Haram insurgents and the scene of carnage in recent times. At the palace of the Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Kyari Ibrahim El-Kanemi, where he donated N100 million toward the rehabilitation of terror victims in the community, Shettima said momentously, “I took an oath of office as the governor two years ago to work for the people devoid of ethnic, religious and political affiliations. That is why it becomes a duty for us to share in your moments of grief.” It is noteworthy that his gesture tellingly contrasts with the rather detached attitude of the central administration on the contentious issue of compensation for casualties of the mayhem.

    In another defining instance, Shettima demonstrated understanding leadership during an unscheduled visit to Gen. Mohammadu Shuwa Memorial Hospital in Maiduguri, where he donated blood to an expectant mother in need of transfusion. According to the Commissioner for Health, Dr Salma Kolo, “The governor was disturbed by the condition of the woman and wanted to help. He later discovered through the medical attendants that his blood group matched that of the woman, so he decided to help out.”

    Remarkably, in these days of self-described professional politicians who go to extreme lengths to remain politically relevant, it is food for thought that Shettima has a vision of his post-governorship years. “I have a Masters degree, but after the political interregnum I wish to go back and get a PhD so that one can become a true intellectual in the real sense,” he said, while receiving the governing council of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in his office.

    In the end, there seems to be a fine quality to his personality that should naturally dovetail with good governance. Regrettably, his story is the stuff of fantasy in the real world of the country’s largely unfeeling politicians.

  • Shettima, Chibok community: hope rises for Chibok girls

    Shettima, Chibok community: hope rises for Chibok girls

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said yesterday that the news of the rescued women is gratifying even if they are not the Chibok schoolgirls.

    In a statement by his spokesman Mallam Isa Gusau, the governor said:  ”The lives, safety and well-being of all citizens of Borno are of equal importance to me. I celebrate news about the rescue with so much excitement in a manner I would celebrate when the military succeeds in freeing the Chibok schoolgirls.

    “I was so full of excitement, gratitude to God almighty and commendation to our gallant armed forces for this great humanitarian feat. For me, the lives, safety and welfare of all citizens of Borno State are of equal importance. These rescued women are daughters, sisters and perhaps also mothers whose lives are important not just to their loved ones but also to me as Governor of Borno State whose mandate is to cater for the welfare of all those living in any part of Borno State regardless of who they are, their faith, gender, age, geopolitical origins and other background elements.

    “They are important to us and words cannot explain how pleased we are. We are very particular about Chibok schoolgirls because of the peculiar manner in which they were kidnapped and how that kidnap has redefined the Boko Haram insurgency. The Chibok schoolgirls are very dear to my heart because they were kidnapped while they were in school. Their kidnap is very symbolic because their kidnappers are opposed to western education especially female education. The entire world especially myself, is desperate about the rescue of the Chibok schoolgirls in order not to allow the ideology held by the insurgents to thrive and to encourage education which is the foundation of any human or society that seeks to develop. However, this rescue is also very dear to me. I am as pleased as much as I would be when the Chibok schoolgirls are rescued by the special grace of God.

    “I am very optimistic, prayerful and supportive of the military’s ongoing rescue and counter insurgency operations. We won’t give up on the Chibok schoolgirls like I said two weeks ago. No sane parent gives up on a missing child. I have daughters and I know the love of a parent to the girl child.

    “For now, it is better to allow the military handle things, conduct their investigations and ascertain the identity of those rescued but irrespective of the identity of the girls, we are very happy they have been rescued whether they are citizens of Borno or any where else. I kindly urge the media to refer to the military for updates on the matter so that there are mixups at any point. I kindly call on all citizens of Borno and other fellow Nigerians to pray for our armed forces and volunteers to succeed so that good will triumph over Evil.”

    The Director of Publicity for Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), a pan organisation of Chibok people worldwide, Dr. Allen Manasseh, told our correspondent in Maiduguri on telephone that the rescue of the 293 women had cleared doubts about the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls.

    Dr. Allen who expressed hope that the Chibok girls will also return someday said:

    “What happened yesterday is cheering news for all of us. It has given us hope that the Chibok girls too will be rescued one day. The incident has also helped to clear the mind of some doubting Thomases that there was no abduction of the girls.

    “At least it has shown that apart from these girls, there are several other women that were kept in captivity by the Boko Haram.

    “The Chibok community is also happy with the families of the released victims and it is our hope that they will be rehabilitated and reunited to their families as soon as possible,” Dr. Allen informed.