Governor of Borno, Kashim Shettima, has blamed the Federal Government for the escalation of Boko Haram insurgency, saying his warning about the sect three years ago was ignored.
Shettima, who said this during an interview with CNN's Christy Anampour, noted that political difference between the Borno State Government controlled by the All Progressives Congress and the Federal Government led by the Peoples Democratic Party, had affected response to the insurgency.
The governor said the abduction of the over 200 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, could have been foiled if the Federal Government and the ruling PDP were focused on solving the problem and not blaming it on the opposition.
He added that politics got in the way of proper communication between the Federal Government and the Borno State Government on the abduction of the girls in the first few days after the incident.
"The sad element in all of this is that three years ago, I was telling everyone that it (Boko Haram insurgency) is a minor problem but if it is not handled with tact and care it was capable of metastasizing into a conflagration that might consume the whole North. But the Federal Government was deaf, dumb and blind to the ground reality," Shettima said.
On whether the Federal Government should negotiate with Boko Haram or accept its prisoners swap offer, the governor said there was need to do anything possible to get the girls back.
He said, "We need to get the girls back and we don't have the luxury of time in our hands. If they are our daughters, this issue of negotiating or not negotiating with terrorists will be out of the question. If it means talking to the devil, if the devil can come down, we should get them back."
Shettima added that he was optimistic that the abducted girls would be brought back alive.
The governor, whose state has been under emergency rule in the past one year, alongside neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states, insisted that the military action alone could not end the insurgency. He described the insurgency as a phenomenon borne out of social exclusivity, poverty, hunger, homelessness, hopelessness, and illiteracy.
He also dissociated Boko Haram from Islam, saying the sect had violated every tenet of the religion.
The APC Women Leader, Sharon Ikeazor, who was interviewed alongside Shettima, said her anger was fuelled by the ineptitude of government in handling the abduction of the schoolgirls.
She said the Federal Government had the chance of rescuing the girls on the day they were abducted.
Ikeazor added part of the campaign was to economically empower the women.
Few months ago, Shettima had said the Boko Haram insurgents were better armed and motivated than the Nigerian Army.
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Firstly, I don't seem to understand why our political leaders prefer to use foreign media stations to air their views on sensitive national issues.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, B'haram is not entirely borne out of illiteracy n poverty but as political tool to frustrate dis present administration. If it was poverty dat is d cause of d insurgence, den how did dey get access to all these sophisticated weapons, and y r dey after d super rich in d north?.........hnmmnnmn.....dia is God o!!!!!
@David Savior, I don't really think you are saved. From your comment, haven't you ever realize that poverty is a tool for the terrorist? Do u just comment bcos you have access to the Internet or that you have something reasonable to say. Go get saved o.
ReplyDeleteI will still take my stand n say dat d B'haram insurgency was not borne out of poverty , if dat is d case den y r dey not agitating for development of d north but all dey r crying out for is d ismalization of Nigeria n total removal of western education from our nationhood. Pls can u explain 2me how poverty cud b their problem?
DeleteI know exactly wat am saying n if u r objective u will accept my point of view.
Somebody that is employed and well fed will not be influenced (I.e recruited to join BH) by the forces behind BH , thus poverty, unemployment and illiteracy is part of cause. Thank me later
ReplyDeleteOne of the nyaya bombing planner was in the military. Was he unemployed or he has an evil tendency in him?
DeleteThere are people who are worse off and have not taken to criminality.
Let us just pray that God will give all peace that desire it
If they want to hid their true colour, they will run to outside this country and open their mouth drop what ever dey there. Ur own country dey hard you 2 stay and grant interview? Abi our media houses here no suit ur taste? 2morrow u go still open ur mouth 2 say nigeria is underdevelop, hw will it develop when u ar busy developing other cointries, hw many of them dey come dis side 2 grant interveiw? BH tell u say na lack of job na him make dem dey kill innocent ppl? Wake up 4rm ur stupid slip and come out with d truth. All of una 4 north noe who BH b. Shikina
ReplyDeleteShettima, Chief sponsor of Boko Haram.
ReplyDeletelisten to your comments again and any wise man can read where this is all coming from.
Nigerians are wiser now Mr Governor.
Shame on you .
Supported!!!
DeleteShame on all of us as Nigerians if we still reason like this. Why will the leaders politicize everything and we support them without thinking
DeleteI feel the ground reason for the insurgence still boils down to EDUCATION. i say this because a lot of these boys use to perpetrate the evil are not educated, they are easily manipulated, except for their top ranking officers which manipulate the pawns among them. I will blame this saga on the past presidents especially from the Northern side of the country, acquiring wealth and using public funds to enrich themselves. the result is what we are seeing now.
ReplyDeletewhat do u expect if ur view is no longer heard by ur the appropriate quarters, is to go extra miles.
ReplyDeleteI think the Borno State Governor should stop playing politics with our abducted girls. Is this the time for him to be passing blames? This thing happened in his State and he is still blaming the Federal Government. Hou touched is he with the plights of the country, how touched is he with the plights of the parents? The Federal Govt is taking actions on intelligence, he is passing blames. I think he should be told to keep quiet if he doesnt have meaningful things to say on how our girls can be brought back. It is a national embarrassment. He should stop talking negatively. we dont need that now. Was APC in Borno State 3 years ago? Please, stop playing politics on what affects all of us. PDP, APC should please stop all these rubbish. We need our girls back, period.
ReplyDeleteThe governor is as irresponsible as his co-sponsors of BH. It is normal for APC idiots to blame someone else for the problems created by them. Those blaming poverty for the ills in the society are shallow minded. Poverty exists in all countries of the world at various degrees. Let the governor tell us how many schooi age children are in school in Borrno. How then do u eradicate poverty without education. These people are d parasites giving Nigeria bad names. Their governments prefer sending harlots to Saudi for Haji than educate their children. Stop crying wolves and educate yourselves.
ReplyDeleteIs it jonathan dat come into power 4 years ago dat brought unemployment and illitracy to the people in north? Hw about other states in this country, are they not facing the same thing? The northern ellites rule this country more than any other part, why didn't they improve the decayed Education and creats jobs in the north? Infact am even hangry with Jona cox he is busy improving ur states than u people desevered.
ReplyDeleteNice one. Very sensible opinion. Thanks
Delete'''He described the insurgency as a phenomenon borne out of social exclusivity, poverty, hunger, homelessness, hopelessness, and illiteracy'''. it is not the federal government that will come and educate your citizens in your sate. All the time we had northerners as president in Nigeria are the pple there not educated, why now? Boko haram should hold all are political leaders and the ruling class in the north responsible for the problem they are facing. all the leaders there should bury their face in shame.
ReplyDeletePlease I think it is time pole stop fooling themselves and get it right. BH is neither a product of poverty or illiteracy nor joblessness. Their leader said it more than five times in videos when he declared their proper name, reasons for their killing and unveiled his position as president of the Islamic State of Nigeria and not BH leader. He stated that any Nigerian who wasn't ready to embrace Islam could migrate to any neighboring country of his choice. He berated Gen Buhari, present Obama and even the death like late Tafawa Balewa and Aminu Kanu whom he called lovers of democracy and pagans. He said he was doing the of Allah only Only Obama and Nigerian leaders don't have work. Remember he sang the new national pledge of the Islamic state of Nigeria. I pledge to Allah my god, to be faithful loyal and honest, to serve Allah with all my strength, and defense Allah with all my blood,so Allah help me. It better all foolish men and women stop linking them with poverty or joblessness he said. He even mentioned he has no brother or any backers in Nigeria but his brothers are the combatants in Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Somali, and many other nations who have answered this call by the prophet of Allah in Quran 8:56-60...and prepare for them you Moslems all you can recruit of strength and strike terror into the hearts and minds of God's enemies and into the hearts and minds of others whom you do not know while Allah knows them quite well. And remember that whatsoever you spend in divine service shall be reimbursed and never shall you be wronged. He also reads in the same video Quran 47:4... 'so conditioned, when you people encountered the enemy of Allah in combat, strike your weapons at their necks to afflict death, and when you have brought death upon most of them and subdued the living at their perils, keep them in conferment and restrict their movements until hostilities have ceased and your enemies have laid down their arms. There and then you either set the captives free for nothing at all or in return for ransom or for the freedom of Moslem captives. He used this verse by the celebrated prophet of Allah to justify the abduction of Chibok girls and challenged any Moslem to show in the Qur'an where his activities where wrong. The biggest question of our generation is where are those scholars to explain this verses and many others to the contrary? God save Nigeria and entire humanity.
ReplyDelete