Shettima bans campaigns, threatens to punish offenders

From Sadiq Abubakar

Maiduguri

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has banned political campaigns by political appointees and civil servants alike noting that “ it is not yet time for political campaign whatsoever”.
The Governor also threatened to sanction any civil servant found wanting in this regard noting that indulging in campaigns now would distract from delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
He also directed all the newly sworn in LGCs Caretaker Committee Chairmen to relocate to their liberated communities with their workers to ensure full restoration of civil authority in their local government areas
The Governor, who also urged those interested in politics to resign immediately and then on their political ambition, stated this while swearing in the newly appointed caretaker chairmen of the 27 local governments of areas of the state at the Multipurpose Hall of the Government House Maiduguri.
“It is not yet time for politicking; any government official that wants to embark on politicking should resign. We don’t want any distraction because we going to embark on massive provision of the dividends of democracy to the people in the next 6 months to ensure that we resettle our returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with dignity.
“You should relocate to your respective communities to ensure that civil authorities is restored, you should relocate with your workers, I, therefore, directed the Local Government Service Commission to put mechanism in place to ensure that any local government worker that fails to return is punished according to the law.
“You should move to your local government headquarters and swear in your councillors, except the chairmen of Marte and Abadam, whose communities are not yet habitable. However, they are inaugurate their councils in Monguno and Damasak, respectively”, the governor said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Hon. Usman Zannah, recalled that in the last one year most of the LGCs caretaker chairmen had relocated to their local government areas and re-opened their local council secretariats for work to restore and ensure civil administration.
Speaking on behalf of the newly sworn in LGCs chairmen, the chairman of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Hon. Bakari Ali Kotoko, thanked the governor for finding them worthy for the appointment and promised on behalf of the chairmen to justify the confidence and trust reposed on them.

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