The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday called for the prosecution of Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, over the abduction of over 200 pupils from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok. Director, Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, in a statement yesterday accused the governor of ignoring security reports and the counsel of the Federal Government against allowing the pupils to write the 2014 May/June West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Chibok.

The PDP’s demand came just as Shettima’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleged a plot by security agencies, acting at the behest of President Goodluck Jonathan, to harass and intimidate the party’s financiers. Justifying the call for the governor’s trial, the PDP said the abducted Chibok schoolgirls would have been saved the ordeal to which they have been subjected in the last 329 days had the governor heeded the advice that the town was not safe for the examinations.

“Shettima will not be governor forever and when he is no longer in office, his role in the Chibok affair would be investigated and, if found wanting, he would be prosecuted,” he added. Under the 1999 Constitution, Shettima, like other governors as well as the president, vice-president and deputy governors, enjoy immunity from prosecution while in office.

But Fani-Kayode said Shettima should be ready for investigation and prosecution after leaving office if found complicit in the circumstances that led to the abduction of the girls. He said the governor, more than anybody else, was responsible for the abduction of the Chibok girls. “The circumstances that led to the abduction of the innocent girls, who were writing their examination in an environment that was everything but secure, underscored the governor’s negligence.

“The governor must give account to God and to the Nigerian people for what he has done to those girls. We are accusing him of being responsible for the abduction of the Chibok girls because he was warned by the Federal Government and by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) not to allow the examination take place in Chibok. “He ignored the warning and promised to guarantee security for those girls. When time came, the governor did not even deploy one policeman, let alone adequate security.

“He betrayed the girls; he set them up; he opened the door for them to be abducted by the Boko Haram and instead of asking for forgiveness and repenting of his wicked ways, he is talking nonsense,” he added. But Shettima dismissed the PDP’s allegations, saying the party cannot blame him for the abduction. The governor, through his media aide, Alhaji Isa Gusau, said he was a victim of the attack on Chibok and he could not be prosecuted, as he has not been found culpable of the incident.

He said: “Long before Fani-Kayode was appointed, his employer and our dear President Goodluck Jonathan had, in 2014, set up a Presidential Fact- Finding Committee on the missing Chibok schoolgirls which was made up of serving and retired security officials, civil societies, elders from Chibok, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Muslims, journalists, labour groups, the National Council on Women Societies and many others with the mandate of establishing facts concerning the circumstances that led to the kidnap of the schoolgirls. “The committee was in Chibok and met with all those it marked as stakeholders, security chiefs in Borno State, officials of WAEC and analyzed documents. In the end, the committee gave a clean bill to Governor Shettima as he was rather a traumatized victim that was doing so well in managing the security challenges in the state.

“The report is there and no one has so far contradicted the report of the committee.” Gusua accused Fani- Kayode of speaking with so much arrogance and ignorance. He said: “We don’t take Femi Fani-Kayode serious and nobody does in Nigeria. He had pronounced a different group guilty over Chibok girls long before now, so if he is reversing himself over that like he contradicted many others, there is nothing new.

“Fani-Kayode, to us and many, is an adult with the mentality of an infant. Again, like I said, no reasonable adult dialogues with an infant because it will amount to going into dialogue with a blind, deaf and dumb which will be an eternal waste of time and we don’t have luxury of time for his kind. We have serious issues we are dealing with. We are just waiting for him to contradict himself in future because he will surely. Character is like smoke, it never hides.” Meanwhile, the governor’s party has accused the president of initiate moves to use the security agencies to harass its supporters.

The APC, in a statement yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated that the plot was part of ongoing efforts to cripple its activities in the run-up to the March 28 presidential poll. But the PDP and presidency denied the allegation, saying it is just part of the antics of the opposition party in feeding the public with lies. “We made it clear early on that our party, which has now become a peopledriven movement, is being bankrolled by ordinary Nigerians, who have contributed generously to the party through the platforms that we published in the newspapers for all to see.

”Though the Federal Government has used some national institutions to stifle our party’s fundraising efforts, Nigerians have utilised the available platforms to make their donations. It is therefore a futile exercise for anyone to harass some innocent people for supposedly financing the APC,” the statement said. APC urged the security agencies to be non-partisan, professional and patriotic in carrying out their duties before, during and after the general elections.

However, PDP rebutted the allegations and accused the opposition of spreading falsehood. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, said: “But if the source of their campaign funds is from slush fund or from corrupt persons, then they can’t stop security agencies from investigating them.” Also, presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the APC was only chasing shadows.

“Don’t mind them. Seeing the defeat that already stares them in the face, they are now busy chasing a crooked shadow. I won’t be surprised if one of these days Lai Mohammed issues a statement blaming the PDP and the presidency for the sun rising in the East and setting in the West. His allegations do not deserve any serious attention,” Abati stated.
http://newtelegraphonline.com/try-shettima-over-chibok-girls/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newtelegraphonline%2FGKzz+%28New+Telegraph%29

Now I know this guy has serious issues. Jonathan swore to protect the territory of Nigeria and in his tenure we have witnessed the death of many he swore to protect, seizures of the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Boko Haram amongst others should be allowed to roam freely on the streets right?

Governor shettima is a shameless hypoctrie, his people have seen his many faces. Just because of politics, shame on APC !

Those days we dey hear one Senator Amodu Sherif as the sponsor of BH, but since he joined pdp, he became a saint and his case closed just like ffk the parrot who was on pdp's witch haunting list before joining them, perhaps Shetima should join pdp too. Smh, useless corrupt party.

It's really so disgusting the way this bastard brings God into his nonsense talks.

Ffk to talk abeg,na lace dem use for him mouth when he was a baby?

The recent threats of the governors to the emirs will greatly affect his political ambition. If there be any hidden fact before now, I suppose, many cans will be opened. Let the truth comes out. We are all waiting. God bless Nigeria. ....buy 1GB MTN Data plan for N1,200 only. 30 days duration. Works in all devices (Andriod/iPhone, Phone or Modem). 24/7 services available. Also Convert Airtime to Cash (20% Processing Fee). Call: 08107873795. Thanks & God bless.