TheCable

Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno state, is solely funding civilian joint task force (JTF) aiding the war against Boko Haram, his spokesman has said.

Speaking during an Arise TV programme on Saturday, Isa Gusau, the governor’s special adviser on communication and strategy, said over 20,000 members of the task force have been operating with state funds.

The Borno state government had set up the task force made up of mostly youth in the north-east to aid soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgency.

Gusau described the role of the civilian JTF as crucial and that they have over the years helped in tracking Boko Haram suspects.

He said the group’s contribution is acknowledged by the military, “all other security stakeholders, past and incumbent federal administrations as well as residents of Borno state”.

“The civilian JTF play crucial roles in intelligence gathering, easy identification and arrest of suspected insurgents and supporting the military in the war front,” he said.

He, however, accused “mischief makers” of undermining the efforts being made by the state government in fighting insurgency.

“Mischief makers are doing everything possible to smear Governor Shettima over the Boko Haram crisis, whereas the same mischief makers regularly acknowledge the roles played by patriotic members of the civilian JTF,” he said.

“They deliberately ignore the fact that in the last six years, Governor Shettima has been the sole person giving approval for the operational vehicles and logistics, recruitment, training, payment of allowances, kitting and surveillance equipment to these over 20,000 heroes, under the civilian JTF that have given everything to the fight against Boko Haram.

“The mischief makers ignore that back in 2013, it was Governor Shettima who drove the process of getting the office of the national security adviser to approve the operational activities of the civilian JTF and he has remained the only one funding all their operations including the coordination of their recruitment and deployments after clearance by the DSS.

“The same governor approves funds to support gallant members of the civilian JTF including allocation of lands to own houses so as to encourage them and guarantee their future.”