By NDAHI MARAMA
It was a comedy of errors last Monday when a delegation of the House of Representatives paid a courtesy call on Governor Kashim Shetimma in Maiduguri.

Such occasions when National Assembly members make official visits to governors are usually laced in merriment, exchange of gifts and banter especially when a federal legislator from the home state is in the delegation.

The visit of the House Committee on Health was especially so last Monday, but it turned out a major disaster for a member of the House from Borno State. In fact, it is a day that Rep. Abdu Mshilia would for a long time rue on account of the dismay he raised among all in the Government House that day.

*Gov Shetimma and Rep Mshelia after the meeting

Mshelia on that day simply could not remember his governor’s name when the delegation got round to introducing themselves to their host.

Mshelia who represents Askira –Uba/ Hawul Federal Constituency was to add to his fault when he addressed one of the governor’s former rivals now serving the governor as “Your Excellency.”

The memorable drama ensued when he forgot to pronounce the correct names of the state’s number one citizen in the presence of his visiting colleagues in the House of Representatives Technical Committee on Health.

Mshelia, a pharmacy graduate from Bulgaria University entered the political terrain during former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff’s tenure when he served as a member of the Borno State House of Assembly representing Hawul state constituency.

He worsened his case when he addressed the Chief of Staff to Governor Kashim, Alhaji Abu Kyari as “Your Excellency” – a title that state governors normally reserve for themselves and their deputies within the Government House.

It was even more embarrassing on that day given that the Chief of Staff, Kyari had aspired to the office of governor before he threw in the towel and backed Shetimma. Was Mshelia trying to revive Kyari’s gubernatorial aspiration? No, a desperate Kyari repeatedly said if not in words, then by his immediate rejection of the title ascribed to him by the House member.

Expressing his disappointment, Governor Shetimma said:

“I will not recognize my own brother who is a House of Representative member from my state who is too jittery and cannot even remember the correct pronunciation of my names as his governor of the same political party”.

Shettima was even more irked due to the fact that the leader of the House Committee on Health who is from the Southeast, Rep Patrick Osadwu and a member of the ANPP could correctly pronounce his names, while his own kinsman, had to almost bite his tongue to call the governor.

The Courtesy call paid on Governor Shettima by members of the House of Representative Technical Committee on Health was to intimate the governor on their investigative mission to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Even as the lawmaker’s departed on that day, the governor was still in shock over the foibles of the House member.

“Honourable Abdu, it is still surprising that you cannot pronounce or mention in full the correct names of your own governor, not to even express yourself in a simple sentence”.