Shettima Attends Promptly to Security Chiefs, Says Deputy Gov

By Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Borno State Deputy Governor, Usman Durkwa, has said the doors of his boss, Governor Kashim Shettima’s office are always opened to military and security chiefs, stating that they are always immediately ushered in to see the governor and never allowed to wait at least for five minutes.

 Speaking with journalists at the weekend, Durkwa said: “In the last six years, no past or serving head of military formations, Commissioners of Police or Directors of the Department of State Service (DSS) spends at least five minutes to see the state governor with or without prior appointment.”

The deputy governor said he needed to clarify the matter “for all Nigerians to know the extent of Shettima’s support for successive heads of security agencies in the state as part of the state government’s devotion to the fight against Boko Haram terrorists.”

He added that: “I know that majority of Nigerians within and outside Borno State deeply appreciate the sincere efforts of Shettima in fighting the Boko Haram terrorists; 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 daily mischief.

“Governor Shettima is a very humble and modest person who will not say what he is doing, but I feel compelled to let everybody know that I have been part of his administration since 2011 as a commissioner before I became the deputy governor in 2015, I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that in the last six years, no security chiefs whether past or present, Theater Commanders of Operation Lafiya Dole, past or present Brigade Commanders, Air Force Commanders, Garrison Commanders, Commissioners of Police both past and present or Directors of DSS have ever spent up to five minutes in the Government House before having access to the governor and most of the times, they come without appointment.”

He revealed that “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 would suspend it and attend to the security chiefs.”

He stressed that “To Shettima, what comes first is security. And if they need any further 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 remain focused as he has always been in order to continue to attend to the challenges of the state.”

“The military is doing its best and making huge sacrifices. Fight against insurgents is difficult all over the world. Mischief makers should stop trying to distract him even though I am confident that if Boko Haram couldn’t distract the governor, I don’t see anyone who can succeed,” Durkwa stated.