Save your courtesies for insurgency victims – Shettima
Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima yesterday told the people of his state that instead of sending him congratulatory messages, they should use today, his birthday, to honour victims of the Boko Haram insurgency and his deputy who recently passed on. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, the governor who turns 49 years tomorrow, appealed to his political appointees and associates, foreign and local contractors, kinsmen and former colleagues in the banking sector, not to place any advertisement in the newspapers and other media outfits to congratulate him.
The governor said he decided to make the statement on time because he is aware of the fact that they would want to place congratulatory messages for him. He also sought the understanding of media houses that may have anticipated revenue from his 49th birthday, to please bear with him.
Shettima expressed profound appreciation to anyone, group or institution, especially those associated with the APC and Borno State government for their support. He urged all friends of the state to pray for peace to return so that his administration will succeed in its practical efforts to remodel Borno State for the benefit of its citizens.
The governor 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 restoredinallpartsofBornoStatewithaffected citizens fully rehabilitated and re-integrated into reconstructed communities.
It would be recalled that in 2014, Governor Shettima rejected a birthday party planned by a group of his friends from Lagos and Abuja, to mark his 48th birthday.
“When the governor got wind of the plan, they called the organizers to cancel the party the very day it was supposed to take place, explaining that it would be insensitive of him as governor of Borno to be partying while citizens of his state are 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,” the statement said.
The governor appealed to those willing to place adverts to channel the funds to private organizations in Abuja and Maiduguri, currently seeking funds to support multitudes of internally displaced persons affected by insurgency in Borno and other parts of the North-east.