Maiduguri — Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State yesterday turned down a nomination for an award from International Advocacy for Peace, Negotiation and None-violence, a group based in Brussels.
The group, in a letter dated 30th January, 2013 which was signed by its coordinator, Mr. Russell Donvito, said Shettima will be presented with the award in Brussels in March, 2013 because of his "resilient and determined role in brokering a ceasefire deal with Boko Haram as well as his pioneering and consistent calls for dialogue."
But Shettima, who spoke through Isa Umar Gusau, his special adviser on communications, turned down the offer yesterday, insisting that "the award recipients should be those who lost their lives to the (Boko Haram) violence, those who have become orphans and widows, those who have lost breadwinners and everyone that stood or continuously works for the return of peace in Borno and other parts of Nigeria."
It said "Governor Shettima politely feels that the award is hasty, biased, diversionary and extremely selective because so many people, key security chiefs, establishments and groups at the national and state levels are actually involved in whatever success being achieved and these people and groups are still working day and night to achieve peace for Borno and Nigeria".
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