Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno has called for a collective support to the military to enhance successful campaign against Boko Haram insurgents.
Shettima made the appeal while addressing the extraordinary security meeting organised for various stakeholders on Monday-night in Maiduguri.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shettima alongside other participants held a closed door meeting into the middle of the night, to proffer solutions aimed at addressing the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in parts of the state.
Shettima called on the people to unite irrespective of their differences, rally round behind the Nigerian Armed Forces, police and other security agencies, to effectively end Boko Haram insurgency and restore peace to the state.
He said: “The realities are that while so much was achieved by our gallant military; we are today faced with serious challenges in Borno State, these challenges should strengthen our abiding faith and resolve to continually do whatever we could in support of our military, the police, the Department of the State Security Service (DSS), Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), paramilitary agencies and political authorities at the federal level, to end the Boko Haram insurgency.
“I have met the President a number of times, including few weeks ago. I have led our national assembly members to the President and in all our discussions, we all saw on the face, in words and actions of the President, absolute sincerity in terms of his deep concern, his empathy and his compassion towards our plight in the northeast, particularly in Borno.
“The president is without the slightest doubt, devoted to the fight against Boko Haram insurgency. I believe that service chiefs, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director General DSS and other heads of paramilitary agencies share the commitments of the president.
“Most importantly, troops in the front lines have laid down their lives, proved their commitment in the service of our country and in obedience to the president.
“This fight is a collective one that affects all of us, we all have a stake in the peace and stability of Borno and this is why we chose to hold an extraordinary security meeting with carefully chosen participants”.
Shettima noted that the participants would deliberate on the situations and come up with recommendations to be presented to the president.
He said that the state government had executed viable projects to fast track reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced persons; enhance peace restoration and return of civil authorities in the war ravaged communities.
According to him, over 30,000 residential homes, schools, clinics, palaces, water points, markets, security posts and religious places of worships were reconstructed to complement federal government’s efforts to restore peace and address the humanitarian crisis caused by the insurgency.
NAN reports that the meeting was attended by heads of the military and security agencies, leadership of the CJTF, traditional rulers, elders, senators, members of House of Representatives and State House of Assembly.
Other participants were selected local council chairmen, commissioners; leadership of the University of Maiduguri and selected tertiary institutions, representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), National Council of Women Societies and Nigerian Legion. (NAN)
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