Governor of Borno State and Chairman, Northern Governors’
forum, Kashim Shettima has stated that he wrote his will and prepared to die
with Borno people during the height of insurgency in the state.
The governor said he had to shun the Mecca and identify with
his people by staying with them during the stormy days.
Shettima was responding to questions on TVC BIG Talk show.
He said, “I wrote my will six months into my administration,
when the issue of Boko Haram was hitting up and I was prepared to sacrifice my
life.
“This is because the insurgents were everywhere in the
State. They had taken over about 22 local government areas in the state.
“At a time like, you must summon the political will-power to
fiercely identify with the people. At least I’m surrounded 600 policemen, what
about the common people.
“We couldn’t abdicate with the people but the mere fact that
you are on ground will give them the hope to
say ‘look, our leader did not run
away.
“Ordinarily there was the period of the year which was a
period of political jamboree, when leaders go to Saudi Arabia to enjoy
themselves, but I can’t go, I won’t go and I will never go.”
By John Owen Nwachukwu
