Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima has revealed for the first time to any Newspaper, that his wife, Hajiya Nana Shettima went as far being ready to die with him in September, 2014.
Shettima, who told the story of what led to his wife's decision, spoke in reaction to the award won by Nana Shettima as The Sun's Most Supportive First Lady for the year, 2015, which was presented to her at an occasion attended by high profile ditaries including President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governors of Lagos, Anambra and Ogun State with their wives, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, captains of industry and celebrities in the entertainment sector, which held on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at the Convention center of Eko Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.
19 deserving Nigerians including Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra State won various awards as Man of the Year and Governor of the Year, 2015, respectively with the awards differently presented to them in persons.
Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima couldn't travel to Lagos for the award because he was preparing to accompany depart Nigeria for Saudi Arabia that Saturday ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari, as he was assigned by the President to be a member of the delegation. Borno's Deputy Governor, Usman Mamman Durkwa was there at the event and so were key personalities from Borno who traveled all the way to support their first lady.
Governor Shettima however, personally signed a message he emailed to The Sun Newspapers yesterday, Sunday, which was sent through his spokesman, Isa Gusau, for the purpose of making a revelation about his wife and to affirm the selection made by The Sun Newspapers.
The Borno Governor started by talking about the decision of his wife to visit Chibok soon after the April 14, 2014 abduction of over 200 schoolgirls at Government Secondary School, Chibok. Nana Shettima actually traveled to Chibok by road from Maiduguri at a time Boko Haram insurgents were burying mines on the road. Her bold decision makes her so far the only woman around the corridor of power that defied the fears of landmines to travel to Chibok by road at that time.
"My wife's decision to drive to Chibok at that dreadful time, really surprised me but what shocked me more was in September, 2014" Shettima began to reveal.
"There was a point everyone thought Maiduguri, the seat of Government, was about being overrun by Boko Haram. I was out of Nigeria when that fear was so intense. Some people around me said I must not return to Borno but I made up my mind to come back, I believed it was better for me to be killed serving my people than for Maiduguri and two million internally displaced citizens to fall to Boko Haram with a coward Governor abroad. I told my wife, I was ready to face death. I left her on Thursday, 4th September in Abuja, it was a highly emotional moment for both of us. I told her to stay back in Abuja so she could at least take care of our kids if anything happened to me. We parted I flew into Maiduguri. I did a state broadcast on Friday, September 5 and was moving round to raise the spirit of citizens. To my shock, my wife came into Maiduguri on Saturday, preparing to face whatever I was going to face. That is the extent of her support for me" Governor Shettima revealed.
At a time some women may look forward to inheriting fortunes from men in power, a woman who was ready to die for her husband, couldn't have deserved less than a prestigious award by the Sun Newspapers as being Nigeria’s Most Supportive First Lady
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