Shettima At Sallah: 'Let's Work Hard To Sustain Emerging Peace In Borno'

By Ibrahim-Gwamna Mshelizza

Governor Kashim Shettima has joined in congratulating Muslims on the completion of the Ramadhan fast and marking of Eid-il-Fitr with a call on citizens to firmly contribute in respective ways to sustain the peace emerging in Borno State especially in the face of recent incidents. In a statement issued by his spokesman, Isa Gusau yesterday, Governor Shettima said his administration is determined, more than ever before, to continually work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that peace keep on growing in the State but will need citizens to perform roles that are crucial to the stability of the State.

"Alhamdulillah, we thank Allah for the successful completion of the Ramadan fast and for the Eid festival. We also thank our good citizens who must have devoted their times to offering prayers for the attainment of peace in Borno and the rest of Nigeria. Alhamdulillah, their prayers are insha Allah being answered because peace is evidently returning to the State even though we have had some recent incidents.

The Government is encouraged by the fact that citizens have remained undaunted despite the incidents as they are speedily returning to hitherto deserted areas, insha Allah, we will remain rooted in our commitment to work for the attainment of peace in our dear Borno State and Nigeria at large . We are bound by constitutional, moral and spiritual obligations to ensure the safety of our citizens and their property and we shall continue to hold these obligations.

We however need to continued support of our dear citizens whose roles in our desperate search for peace is crucial. We will need our citizens to remain dedicated in prayers, cooperative with security bodies, communally vigilant; we urge parents to carry on with guiding their children and wards to be of good and lawful behaviours; we urge citizens to avoid spreading of rumour which can cause false alarms that could lead to general panic and breaches of security while we should all promote peace through making reasonable utterances in private discussions and public discourse.

We should at all times realise, that the search for peace is a shared obligation between leaders and the led since peace is basic to our continued existence as individuals and as a society. We must never be deterred by incidents because there is no alternative to the return of peace.

I pray that we celebrate the Sallah in peace and harmony. I call on all of us to be kind to our neighbours, relatives, friends and the needy by extending gestures to them in the spirit behind the Ramadan and the Eid-il-fitr. We must be our brother's keepers to attract compassion from our creator and fellow humans from whom we may also find ourselves in need.

Let us always remember that Borno is our collective heritage, it is our home as residents and we have a duty to contribute to its stability,more so that we will, by so doing, work for our own progress as a people" Shettima was quoted saying.