In the last six years, no past or serving head of different military formations, commissioners of police and directors of the Department of State Service spends up to five minutes to see Governor Kashim Shettima “with or without prior appointment”, Borno Deputy Governor, Usman Mamman Durkwa has revealed.
The Deputy Governor, who reportedly spoke in a telephone interview with a reporter, said it was necessary for all Nigerians to know the extent of Shettima’s support for successive heads of security agencies in Borno State as part of the State Government’s devotion to the fight against Boko Haram.
“I know that majority of Nigerians within and outside Borno State deeply appreciate the sincere efforts of Governor Kashim Shettima in fighting the Boko Haram, supporting internally displaced persons, rebuilding, and resettling IDPs but I am also worried that some mischievous politicians are doing everything within their powers to discredit my boss through all kinds of mischief. The governor gave a standing order since 2011 that any security chief should be given unrestricted access to his office so long as he is not presiding over a State Council meeting. All the security chiefs just come to the Government House and walk straight to his office, no matter what the governor is doing, he suspends it and attends to the security chiefs.”
Shettima reads every intelligence report they bring, his deputy said. “He treats whatever issue they come with. You can go and ask any of them both those who served in Borno State before from 2011 to date or those who are currently serving. To Shettima, what comes first is security. And if they need any information, he will immediately call stakeholders from the communities involved and do his best to get the information. I want to urge mischief-makers to allow the governor focus as he has always been to continue to attend to the challenges of Borno State.”
