By Olalekan Bilesanmi

His background as a financial expert does not give room for pretences. Figures don’t lie, people say. In the same vein, Kashim Shettima, second term governor of Borno State, does not politicize issues because of the exigencies of the time; no, he would say it the way it is, especially if it will achieve the desired result. He was once criticized for his blunt assessment of the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram during the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan, but the nation soon realized that there was no better way he could have said it if he was to get  the Federal Government to act. A spade is a spade, and that was what Shettima called it.

Things have since improved in terms of the activities of  Boko Haram particularly in Borno State, the main theatre of the insurgency where the Nigerian Army appears to have almost decimated the group. Meanwhile, the military still has a month to go to totally take the terrorists out of our shores on the order of President Muhammadu Buhari. But as normalcy returns to the devastated areas, so is Shettima adjusting to the reality on the ground by putting up structures that would reintegrate the victims back to the society. First of all, let us put things in proper perspective. Borno was the headquarters of this insurgent group thereby making the state to be the centre of the war, and by implication, the most affected in terms of the loss of both human and resources.

Shettima in tears

Out of 27 local government areas of the state, only about five remained unconquered by Boko Haram. There are about eight emirate councils in Borno. These are Diakwa, Bama, Biu, Shani, Askra, Gwoza and Uba. Out of the eight, only two-Biu and Shani  were spared by the insurgent group. Even at that, Shani emirate council is not at ease as the emir is said to be shuttling between the palace and an undisclosed  abode in search of safety.

Boko Haram killed the emir of Diakwa emirate council, took over the emirate and made it its headquarters; same with Gwoza, whose emir was slain on his way to the burial of emir of Gombe. Bama and Askra suffered the same date except that their emirs are alive.

The group  destroyed all structures in those localities, including homes of the residents who either got slaughtered in their sleep or ran for their dear lives. Unlike the pupils down South, many pupils in Borno are no in school because there are no schools. All the schools in the affected areas have been destroyed. The off-school pupils are lucky. Their counterparts at Chibok town, about 274 of them, are yet to be recovered  as the terrorists kidnapped them for close to two years now.

The Maiduguri  airport, servicing Borno and Yobe States, was destroyed. Economic activities in the state came to a stand-still. Farming, the  main occupation  of  the people was paralysed. For the past three years, there has not been any serious farming. The terrorists invade their farms regularly, carting away their produce and even  kill in the process. For example, the Maiduguri Monday Market, the largest weekly market in North-East and, of course, Borno, has since  functioning for more than two years. Big markets in Diakwa and Biu suffered the same fate. The insurgency, ordinarily, is enough to overwhelm any government. This perhaps is where true leadership holds sway. Shettima rose to the occasion. He swung into action. Every other thing can be put on hold, not the lives and property of the people that voted him to power. In any case, lives and property, first and foremost, is the priority of any government. He was not just dishing out orders, he was leading his lieutenants to all affected areas by insurgency, as he gave words of encouragement. He has now gone a step further.

He has established the Ministry of Construction and Rehabilitation which seeks to bring back the places, affected by the insurgency, to an appreciable settlement.It is also soothing to hear that the proposed North-East Development Commission (NEDC) Bill passed through the first reading at the National Assembly, last week.

The bill, when  it becomes law, will, apart from the efforts of the various state governments concerned, help to increase the pace of development in the region. Northern senators, led by the Senate Leader, Muhammed Ndume, must be commended for their efforts to see that the North-East is given special recognition in terms of rehabilitation of the region.

Taking care of the victims of insurgency at the Internally Displaced Persons camps until they can be resettled to their original habitation may be commended, but the ultimate test for the Shettima administration would be, apart from the reconstruction and rehabilitation going on, to provide jobs. Closely followed is the internally generated revenue, IGR, of Borno. As a financial expert, it should not be too difficult for him to find creative ways by which the state can generate more revenue, especially now that the federal allocation to all states is dwindling.

There would be need for the state to borrow a leaf from the Federal government in adjusting it’s outlook about sponsorship of pilgrims, both Christians and Muslims, to the holy lands. There would also be the need to adjust political appointments in terms of the number, salaries and emoluments.The people of Borno, with the help and assistance of the Federal Government, and, more importantly, the state government as led by Shettima, are gradually picking the pieces of their lives.

It may take a long while to get everybody fully rehabilitated, but the compassion and care Shettima regularly shows to the displaced would go a long way to  assure them that, unlike before, this government will not leave them to their fate.