Defiantly, at the height of the Civil Right crisis, Martin Luther King wrote from a Georgian prison: “Do to us what you will and we still love you…. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hour and beat us and leave us half dead, and we still love you –One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves; we shall so appeal to our hearts and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.”
I read recently, a piece written in the Daily Trust by Mallam Isa Gusau, Adviser on Communications and Strategy to Governor Kashim Shettima. The article titled, “Borno: Conspiracy and Shettima’s six years with 57 lawmakers”, dwelt on the relations between the governor and the legislators from Borno State in the All Progressive Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in both the state and national Assemblies. In the article, Gusau pointed out that some of the governor’s aides, including himself, were at some point not happy with the governor with his kind disposition, especially to some legislators who are even in the same party with Shettima but were still hostile to him.
Not at peace, especially with the open door policy and access given the rebellious legislators by the governor, and sensing they might take undue advantage to harm Shettima, Mallam Isa and some of his fellow aides decided to see the governor to warn him of the possible danger ahead.
According to the adviser on communications, the governor granted the team audience and at the meeting, the aides bared their minds. They told Shettima of the possible danger of entertaining always and in particular those they referred to as dissidents. They went further to remind him that his predecessor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff never gave such privilege to legislators. He was reminded that on one occasion, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly came to see Senator Sheriff as the governor then, but was unable to and had to leave after waiting for hours.
It is the unwavering spirit, resolute will, humility, optimism, cunning skill, vision, and focus that have made Shettima the acceptable ally of the people, in the on-going struggle to liberate Borno from the clutches of the human hawks
Governor Shettima, in response, thanked the aides for their concern. However, before the shout of Jack Robinson and to the consternation of Malam Isa and his colleagues and as a leopard whose colour cannot be changed, Shettima showed his true self. According to Gusau, “….but rather than heed our call, he turned more lenient. The governor gave specific instruction that all the 28 members of the Borno State House of Assembly were free to see him after the spot request at the Government House. He went further to issue similar authority granting all National Assembly members free access to his office. Not done, the governor began a habit of paying scheduled visits to Borno Senators and Representatives. Whenever in Abuja, he spent time at the residence of one National Assembly member after another. He ate meals prepared in their houses and interacted with their family members. He went round residence of virtually all of them. Back in Maiduguri, he took time to pay similar visits to the residence of the state House of Assembly members”
Mallam Isa continued, “We watched helplessly believing the governor was making a mistake, more so at that time, he was in good terms with Sheriff. No basis for being too nice.
“However, July, 2014 proved us wrong. Newspapers published remarks by majority leader of the state House of Assembly, claiming all the 28 members were moving to PDP in loyalty to ex- governor Sheriff, who had just fallen out with Shettima in that year. The report fuelled speculations on the alleged plot by the Presidency to use the Assembly to impeach Shettima.
“In payback, 27 out of 28 members of the Assembly led by the Speaker rose in electrifying loyalty to Shettima across the party divides. Only the majority leader formally defected to PDP and was removed from principal office,” concluded Gusau.
Besides, it was observed during this period that two PDP senators defected to APC while in the 2015 elections, the APC swept all the seats in the state House of Assembly, Senate and House of Representatives.
According to a French philosopher, “There are some occasions in one’s life which neither time nor circumstances can change nor obliterate from one’s memory.” The administration of Borno State by Governor Shettima constitutes one of such occasions.
Right from the inception of his administration, the road has been slippery, uncertain and dotted with mountains of problem and political intrigues, compounded by security challenges. It is the unwavering spirit, resolute will, humility, optimism, cunning skill, vision, and focus that have made Shettima the acceptable ally of the people, in the on-going struggle to liberate Borno from the clutches of the human hawks, who are hell bent on sending the state to perdition.
In-between efforts to provide water for both domestic and agricultural purpose, construct roads, provide mass-oriented programmes, and other social and economic needs of the people, Governor Shettima had to contend with the forces of darkness like the Boko Haram and the destructive and malicious campaign of his political opponents, all aimed at pulling down his administration. That he stood firmly against all attempts to divert his attention from the course of the set goals was a great tribute to his statesmanship and dexterity.
It takes a great deal of courage to be able to withstand the atrocities, wickedness, the bloodletting from the Boko Haram sect and all forms of evil propaganda. But today, the people of Nigeria and in particular, Borno, know those who have used political power for the good of the people or for evil, for the people’s happiness or for oppressing them.
*Izekor, journalist and public affairs analyst, writes at thepointng.com
