Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

Shettima assures of peace, defeat of B’Haram

By Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri
15 June 2015   |   2:30 am
GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima of Borno State has said that the North-East sub-region of the country would soon begin to experience “relative peace and tranquility” with the current measures taken on Boko Haram insurgency by President Muhammadu Buhari in the last two weeks. Shettima, who spoke yesterday at the Maiduguri International Airport while fielding questions from…
Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima

Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima

GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima of Borno State has said that the North-East sub-region of the country would soon begin to experience “relative peace and tranquility” with the current measures taken on Boko Haram insurgency by President Muhammadu Buhari in the last two weeks.

Shettima, who spoke yesterday at the Maiduguri International Airport while fielding questions from newsmen on his arrival to Maiduguri, said the counter-terrorism war had been stepped up in the region with the firm commitments of the neighbouring countries of Niger and Chad.

He, however, said that Borno would be the greatest beneficiary of the counter-terrorism war as most of the communities in the state have been destroyed along with their entire populations displaced.

His words: “All of us can bear testimony that the trip has to do with the counter-terrorism measure of the Federal Government. Terrorism has become a global problem that needs concerted efforts from all and sundry.

“I believe with the co-operation that the Federal Government was able to extract from our neighbouring countries, we are on course to a sustained peace in this part of the world.”

The governor was, however, pleased with the reopening of the Maiduguri International Airport by the Federal Government to commence commercial flights, adding that it would enable the people to travel and transact their businesses all over the world.

“We are very much pleased by the reopening of the airport because it will open many vistas of opportunities for our people to move around the world”, he said.

The governor also called on the Federal Government to assist the state in the re-construction of the destroyed communities by Boko Haram.

“One of our most important challenges is how we can re-construct and rehabilitate our villages and communities that have been destroyed by the Boko Haram so that people can start going back to their farms.

“People have started going back to Damasak, Gwoza but we need the support of the Federal Government to reconstruct some of these communities that even if the people wish to go back, there will be little they can do. From behind the hills in Gwoza, their communities have been completely wiped out. If they will have to go back, where they are going to stay.”

Speaking on the recent donation of over $10.5 million (N2.08 billion) by the USAID, Kashim praised the United States (U.S.) government for identifying with the people of the North-East and Borno State at its time of need.

He also called on other Gulf States to come to the aid of the state, adding that Borno will bounce back again.

“The United States has fiercely been identifying with the people of the North-East and our dear state in times of need. We believe that other western nations and rich Gulf States should also come to our assistance in this hour of need.

“We are going to bounce back in spite of all the difficulties. We are going to use our meagre resources to start the reconstruction exercise”, Shettima further said.

0 Comments