CONDOLENCE VISIT TO ENUGU STATE: WE KNOW THE MEANING OF TERROR ASSOCIATED WITHE BOKO HARAM - GOVERNOR SHETTIMA

STATEMENT BY GOVERNOR KASHIM SHETTIMA, CHAIRMAN NORTHERN GOVERNORS' DURING A CONDOLENCE VISIT TO ENUGU STATE, TUESDAY, MAY 2ND, 2016

PROTOCOLS

On behalf of the governments and peoples of the 19 Northern states, and the Northern Governors' Forum, I have led this delegation to the brotherly people and government of Enugu state, to express our condolences on the tragic killings that took place in this state over a week ago. It is our duty to bring condolences to our brothers and sisters and compatriots of Enugu state, because in the best traditions of our people, we must mourn with our compatriots just as we rejoice together, in moments of happiness. It is particularly important for us to express our heartfelt sympathy, because as victims of the terror associated with the Boko Haram crisis, we know the meaning of terror and the associated grief. We have lived with that for over seven years and we have been able to retain stoicism, largely because of the empathy that we have received from our compatriots from all over our country, including the sympathy of the people of Enugu state.

In a period of grief, we must also be able to maintain a calmness and clear headedness about the challenges that face us as a country. And we know that these are very difficult times for our country. The killings that have taken place here in Enugu state have come in the context of other killings in various rural communities across our country. The security forces are doing the very best to arrest the situation; efforts are being made to bring perpetrators to face the law and in that process, all Nigerians must assist the security forces with the information to succeed. But it is also important that communities, leaders and especially the Nigerian media, should play a calming and patriotic role in the situation that faces our country.

West Africa: UN envoy cites region’s daunting challenges, Boko Haram threat to Nigeria

While countries in West Africa are trying to promote development and consolidate democracy, they continue to face daunting challenges such as transnational organized crime and growing terrorist activities, the top United Nations official in the region told the Security Council on Tuesday, while also warning of the increasing threat the Boko Haram crisis poses to Nigeria.

Said Djinnit, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, added that the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA), which he heads, has been trying to sensitize regional leaders to the need for “decisive concerted efforts” to fight these threats to regional security and stability.

DailyTrust Interview : What Boko Haram Fighters Told Me About Sect - Governor Kashim Shettima

Governor Kashim Shettima is, probably, Nigeria’s most troubled state Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the moment. Before he was voted into power in the 2011 governorship election, the insurgency in Borno State had begun to fester. In spite of all peace moves and military action, the crisis has not been brought to an end.

In this exclusive interview conducted last Wednesday, Governor spoke on the abduction of over 200 school girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok some two weeks ago, the state of emergency, the Boko Haram crisis generally, among many other contemporary issues

What’s the latest good news that you have for the parents of the 270 school girls abducted by Boko Haran two weeks ago? What are you doing about their rescue?

That incident is one nightmare that troubles me very much - as a father and leader. It remains the worst in my entire life. As a father I can imagine what a parent feels when a daughter is in the hands of abductors who are very capable of forceful marriage, rape, slavery and who are against education. As I said at a courtesy call earlier today, we are at a brokenhearted time in our dear Borno State because as we speak, over 200 precious daughters of Borno, 200 young enterprising school girls working towards a bright future, are being detained somewhere by our fellow men who claim to be devoted Muslims, whereas Allah who created all of us, has mandated us to protect women, to support them, to serve them with special attention and to even spare them during Islamic holy wars that the Boko Haram claim to be fighting.