“Borno is indeed lucky to have Governor Kashim Shettima especially at challenging times because he has proved more than capable of weathering the insurgent storm. He understands the needs of Borno people and certainly completing this mosque touches the heart of many citizens” – His Eminence, Abubakar Sa’ad III, Sultan of Sokoto.
Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima on Sunday, February 3, in Lagos, won “an extraordinary personality and achievement award” from Silverbird Television, bringing to four the number of awards he received within two weeks from media organisations that include The Sun Publishing Limited, African Independent Television (AIT) and Nigerian Newsdirect Newspapers in Lagos. All the awards recognised Governor Shettima based on “courage” and “outstanding leadership” in efficiently steering the affairs of Borno State in the midst of the Boko Haram crisis.
Though Shettima, due to state matters, found it difficult to attend all the award ceremonies, three of which held in different days in Lagos and one in Abuja, he was represented by government officials.
At Silverbird’s award night, held at Eko Hotel in Victoria Island, barely a week after The Sun Awards at the same venue, Chairman of Silverbird group, Senator Ben Murray Bruce who handed the award to the governor’s representative, said after careful assessment by editorial team of Silverbird, Governor Shettima was found worthy of being recipient of “Extraordinary personality and achievement award for the year 2018”.
Borno’s Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Bulama received Shettima’s award at the ceremony attended by Governors of Bayelsa, Gombe and Delta states and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as special guest of honour.
A day earlier, a newspaper with growing online presence, Nigerian Newsdirect had at an award night, also at Eko Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, presented an award to Governor Shettima for his “ground breaking performance especially in the reformation of education in Borno State”.
The award was received by Mr. Christopher Godwin Akaba, who is Governor Shettima’s Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Digital Media. Akaba is an Urhobo man from Delta who lives in Maiduguri and has been working with Shettima since 2011.
A week earlier, The Sun Publishing had equally presented an award to the governor for “Courage in Leadership”. The award night, also held at Eko Hotel in Victoria Island was received by Borno’s Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Bulama.
The award dinner was attended by several governors and other dignitaries. Preceding that was an award by African Independent Television, AIT, on January 19 in Abuja. Again, Shettima was awarded for being outstanding in his leadership of Borno. The award was received on his behalf by Borno’s Deputy Governor, Usman Mamman Durkwa.
It will be recalled that Governor Shettima, since 2011 to date has won more than 20 awards, majority of them from media organisations that include Vanguard Newspapers, Tell Magazine, Leadership Newspapers, and Newswatch Magazine amongst others.