Newspapers reported this: POLITICAL CABAL WORKING AGAINST JOINT COUNTER INSURGENCY EFFORTS BY PRESIDENCY, MILITARY, BORNO STATE GOVERNOR The office of the Special Adviser to Governor Kashim Shettima on Communications, respectfully alerts members of the Nigerian public and relevant establishments on the activities of a political cabal, working very hard to ensure there is complete disunity between the Presidency, the military and the Borno State Governor; a plot that clearly undermines a joint effort that is critical in the ongoing fight against insurgency in the troubled Borno State. The office would have ordinarily ignored the activities of the political group for their shoddiness but for the fact that keeping silent could affect existing coordination between the Presidency, the military and the Borno State Government and which when overlooked, would not be in the interest of Borno citizens, the Presidency, the Military and indeed other Nigerians, especially if one takes into account, the fact that disintegration between the three groups would cause cracks in a joint counter insurgency effort that had been in place since 2011 which had succeeded in relatively freeing some major towns in the State that were hitherto, under the full control of the Boko Haram insurgents, even though so much work still needs to done in the light of recent attacks across the State. The cabal, made up of some discontented politicians, some serving and former public office holders , has a single agenda which is to create problems between the Presidency, Military and the Borno Government in order to dubiously secure the political blessings of the Presidency and top ranks of the military with a view to seizing control of the Military, the police force and State Security Service, divert the security’s attention away from counter insurgency, drag them into politics, destabilize the polity and use security agencies in furthering their political ambitions ahead of the 2015 elections. The cabal has been deploying all possible means including publishing falsehoods and spreading same on the social media to accuse the Government of so many wrong doings that include unimaginable financial misappropriation that is beyond the income of the Government, making efforts for personal contacts with a section of the military and other security agencies in Abuja and to feed them with falsehoods aimed at creating an impression that the Borno State Governor and his administration was funding insurgents, making efforts for personal contacts with close associates of the Presidency and other Presidential aides to induce and talk them into misinforming and misleading the Presidency on false roles of Borno State Government as well as creating an impression through the same channel that Governor Shettima had vowed to ensure the President was not re-elected, all in a bid to sever any kind of relationship between the Presidency, Military and the Borno State Governor and his administration, mainly for their selfish political interest at the expense of the stability of Borno State and the northeast as well as the success of the ongoing counter insurgency operation which, when achieved, would be of credit to the Presidency. The office has noted that in the early hours of Sunday, June 29, 2014, the cabal created a sham fakebook page, bearing the name and picture of Governor Kashim Shettima and started posting mischief; on Monday morning, the cabal published a complete falsehood raising all manner of allegations in line with their agenda, on a Newspaper associated with them, while on Tuesday morning, the same cabal planted a fictitious and evil minded interview on a website site it created to pursue its agenda, claiming in the interview that a certain arrested and detained member of the Boko Haram (that is none existent) had admitted to being sponsored by Governor Shettima and some officials close to him, all in a vicious and inhuman attempt to set the Presidency and the Military against the Governor and the administration with only 2015 elections at the back of their minds. It is important to note that successive commanding officers of the military, the police, DSS and other security agencies working in Borno State from 2011 when Governor Shettima was elected and sworn-in, till date, have serially acknowledged the outstanding support their formations have received from Governor Kashim Shettima and his administration in the last three years. Some top military officials have had basis to, in the presence of the media, paid tributes to the Governor not only for the easy access to his office which he created for all security heads in Borno State, through a deliberate instruction, but also for his prompt responses to their requests for support and most importantly, too, for sourcing and passing on credible information to them as well as doing so much to build public confidence between the military and citizens across the State as well as the manner in which the Governor approves the release of funds to families of soldiers and policemen killed by insurgents to provide immediate relief to them. It might be necessary to also recall how Governor Shettima, about two months ago, came out strongly to defend the military when a media house reported an unknown soldier, linking the military with the promotion or execution of insurgency activities. Governor Kashim Shettima is certainly not desperate about re-election. He feels that 2015 in the hands of God. He is particularly concerned about the deaths of citizens in Borno State and the need for synergy between the State and Federal establishments to sustain a coordinated fight against insurgency so as to secure precious human lives and property. The Governor believes that power squarely lies in the hands of God; for it is God that gives power or keep anyone in it. It is for that reason that he respects the institution of power which is why he has the highest respect for the Presidency and has shown that in his regular interfaces with the Presidency in the last three years, in his prompt acceptance and delivery of tasks assigned to him by the Presidency and in the manner in which he ensured that the President was well received, respected and accorded his due courtesies during his Presidential visit to Borno State in 2013 and also in the fact that the Governor had never at any time, disparaged the person of the President in all his speeches and public commentaries. Those who have come in direct contact with the Governor have always parted with feelings about his unconscious humility, realness, openness, friendliness, his farthest passion and commitment towards ending the insurgency and his assiduous works on the solid foundation he has since laid, for the regeneration of Borno State. ISA UMAR GUSAU SPECIAL ADVISER ON COMMUNICATIONS, JULY 1, 2014
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 04:39:27 +0000