Nigeria’s Borno State Governor and outgoing Chairman Northern States Governors’ Forum, (NSGF), Kashim Shettima on Friday, clarified media reports attributed to him on the split of Kano Emirate.
Responding to questions from the media at the end of the NSGF meeting in Kaduna, if media reports were true, that he spoke in support of the creation of four additional Emirates in Kano State by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to downsize the influence of Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi?.
Shettima said he could neither have spoken in support of the split of Kano Emirate or against the Governor because he has special relationship that makes him indebted to both Governor Ganduje and Emir Sanusi.
He spoke in the presence of the Governor of Kano State who was at the meeting during the questions and answers session.
“The context of my remark was completely changed but I normally do not confront Journalists because they have been of strong support to me.
“Fact is that I could never have supported the development in Kano Emirate or spoken against the Governor.
“Governor Ganduje and his highness, the Emir of Kano have done some things that are eternally dear to the people of Borno, to me in particular.
“Governor Ganduje has adopted and granted lifetime scholarships from primary to University levels to 200 orphans from Borno State whose parents were killed by Boko Haram.
“These children are provided with accommodation, feeding and being given very good education in Kano State under a special welfare programme that the Governor approved.
“On the other hand, the Emir of Kano was our main link to Alhaji Aliko Dangote. In 20016, the Emir was in Borno and on seeing the humanitarian situation, he spoke to Alhaji Aliko Dangote and he (Dangote) has been to Borno State more than 3 times.
“He has given the highest individual and private sector supports to our humanitarian course and I will never forget that the Emir of Kano was the link. As then CBN Governor, the Emir brought the CBN Entrepreneurship Development Center to Borno State back in 2013 or thereabout.
“He helped in raising global and local awareness to our situation in Borno. I will never forget the empathy shown to us by the Emir of Kano as well as Governor Ganduje and this is why I play the role of a bridge builder.
“And then, we Governors have one unwritten policy, we don’t openly interfere with the issues of one another. We only play background roles to lobby and appeal. The Northern Governors did play a role
sometime back over the same Kano Emirate and we are still working underground because I cannot dictate to Ganduje on how he should run Kano but we can work underground as bridge builders. God willing, the Governor and the Emir will come back together as one,” Shettima said.
