Angry Gov Shettima tells Okupe to shut up

Tuesday's comments of presidential aide, Dr. Doyin Okupe on Boko Haram yesterday drew the ire of Borno State Governor Kashim Ibrahim, who had visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday to express his frustration over the sect's menace.
Responding to Okupe's comment yesterday, the governor challenged the presidential aide to visit Borno to assess the situation rather than making statements from the cosy of his office.
"Dr Doyin Okupe should kindly note that if he is finding a governor to drive any rift with the Presidency,he has not found one in Kashim Shettima because those who know Shettima know him to be honest,courageous, respectful, humble, but also dogged. Governor Shettima will certainly not be one of Okupe's tool for showing face on TV. Okupe should kindly be reminded that as a public relations officer, part of his job is to interprete situations correctly to the Presidency, attract goodwill and create more friends for the Presidency and not to create rift," the governor said through a statement signed on his behalf by his spokesman, Isa Umar Gusau.

He said the governor felt it was time to let Nigerians know the truth about the insecurity in his state and parts of North-East and not to denigrate the military as the presidential assistant would want people believe.
"The governor's very honest remark in Abuja was a case of 'one who wears the shoes knows where it pinches.' The governor is the person on ground, he knows exactly what the problems are. As most Nigerians would testify, Shettima had been very patient until he opened up and the sole aim was for Nigerians to appreciate the situation on ground. Unless Dr Okupe wanted Shettima to tell lies or to conceal the truth by deceiving Nigerians, or perhaps he wanted the people of Borno to die in silence otherwise, the governor did the right thing any responsible leader should do in the circumstance he found himself. A leader must be bold enough to tell the truth so that solutions can be found to critical situations," he stated.
The return of the JTF which was hitherto responsible for the security operations in the North-East, according to top security sources, may not be unconnected with the increasing attacks and killings of innocent Nigerians as well as the declaration on Monday, by Governor Shettima that the Army lacks the capacity to combat the sect.