What I am about to write on now is emotive. Religion is emotive. As such, let me warn from the onset that I might step on toes and anger some. To some, this exercise might be regarded as patronising.
To others, this is an affront. Whichever perspective held, it is a matter of opinion. Besides, I am not tailor-made for hero worship, more so when this is misplaced or a deliberate effort to achieving an undeserved goal or benefit.
However, when it becomes imperative that an effort must be commended and recommended, is there any justification to sweep this under the carpet for fear of being tagged hero worshiper?
For people striving to achieve greatness, the starting point is to recognise a noble deed whenever and from whomever it comes. This is what informed this essay – to appreciate and honour a noble deed from whosoever deserves this.
My journalistic sage in this part of the country spans over a considerable length of time. During the period, I have observed, seen and experienced the good, the bad and the ugly.
I saw the beauty and glowing of the flowers and the fading away of the same. Margaret Peil expressed the view that Nigeria is a country where the best never occurs and the worst never happens.
I witnessed the height of political intolerance in Borno State where blood flowed, and the illegal and brutal deportation of Alhaji Shugaba Abdulrahman Darman, the mighty leader in the Borno State House of Assembly in 1980, the Maitatsine riot of the 1980s in Maiduguri and the sectarian revolt of February 18, 2006, in the state capital, where over 50 churches, public and private property worth about N2 billion were destroyed and several souls lost.
Then came the Boko Haram insurgency, through which Borno State became Shakespeare’s “architecture of ruins.” Unlike the opinion of Margaret Peil, I have seen the worst.
Yes, I have equally seen the good, if not the best, here. I have seen my Christian brothers and sisters being treated and taken as part of the whole as against the hitherto insignificant and detestable fraction of the whole.
On assumption of office as the governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima inherited, among others, a blood-stained banner and deficit balance sheet from his predecessor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
Among the legacy bequeathed were the blood thirsty Boko Haram sect and a no love balance sheet between the Christians and Sheriff’s administration, climaxed by the February 18, 2006 sectarian revolt that led to the loss of several souls and destruction of property, mostly owned by Christians.
Shettima’s policy of bridging the gap between the two religious sects in the state helped in no small measure to calm frayed nerves, enhance unity
Realising from the onset that the scale of justice was tilting uncomfortably towards the Christian community, Governor Shettima chose to counter this by steering a multidimensional via media course option – conciliation and compromise. While extending his administration’s hand of fellowship to the Christian community, the state government’s sponsorship of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land increased substantially beyond expectation.
Kashim’s avowed disposition to placate or redress the perceived bitterness of the Christians on allegation of marginalisation is legendary.
In private and public fora, he calls for unity of purpose between Muslims and Christians for the peace and development of the state in particular, and the nation in general. During the last Christmas, the governor was in Southern Borno to spend the Christmas holiday with Christian families.
During the festive period, he visited Askira, Lassa, Chibok, Uba and distributed gifts to the Christian communities.
Similarly, in the state capital, several bulls and gifts were sent to the Christian community, especially the Christian Internally Displaced Persons in camps.
Also, Churches destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents during Shettima’s administration are not left out. Of recent, the sum of N100,000,000 was released to the Christian community in Askira, Lassa and Chibok for the reconstruction of destroyed Churches in the area.
In like manner, in the award of scholarships and appointments, Shettima made sure Christians are not shortchanged, just as there was no discrimination with regards to compensation of victims of insurgency.
Notwithstanding this good radiance from Shettima, there is still a burden that is worrisome to the Christian community in Borno – the non-teaching of Christian Religious Studies in public schools.
Though report had it that this became a subject of litigation, the plaintiff, the state branch of CAN, was prevailed on to withdraw the suit from the court for settlement. This it did. But years after, the status quo remains.
No doubt, Shettima’s policy of bridging the gap between the two religious sects in the state helped in no small measure to calm frayed nerves, enhance unity and is partly responsible for the peace so far recorded in Borno and ultimately, the defeat of the insurgency.
