A delegation of Borno state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the state government is using illegal security outfit to muzzle opposition, that its actions and inactions are responsible for the continued sustenance of insurgency in Borno State.
The group also alleged that, the state government is behind the dismantling of its billboards, posters and other campaign items ahead of the visit of President Muhammad Buhari to the state.
PDP group led by, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji who made the disclosure in a Press conference on Wednesday in Abuja when they brought their complaint before the national leadership of the party, revealed that, “the government constituted an illegal vigilante group known as ‘Boyes’ under the supervision of the Attorney General of the State that goes about harassing members of the opposition parties, dismantling bill boards so that the visiting President Buhari will not notice the overwhelming support being enjoyed by PDP in the state.
He said, “Last night all posters. banners and billboards of all PDP candidates and the flags of the PDP were destroyed on the orders of Govenor Kashim shettima. using an illegal security outfit which, he devised and named ‘boyes’. just because he didn’t want President Buhari|.who is visiting the state today, to see any of them.
“Inspite of its illegality however, ‘boyes’ is suprisingly being supervised by the attorney general, who is supposed to be the chief law officer of Borno state. One of our concerns is because it has now become very clear to Governor Shettima that he has lost the trust and confidence of our people he plans to use this illegal security outfit to rig the 2019 election, he added.
Senator Abba Ajji further noted that “We therefore call on the president to instruct the police and the military to protect the constitutional rights of our people in exercising their free choice during the 2019 elections.
“Each time the govenors actions were resisted by the citizens of Borno state, such citizens were beaten up by ‘boyes’, and detained by the police at various police stations where many of them are stii being held, he added.
He also also alleged that, ” the governor himself has often verbally threatened the lives of his maior opponents. none of this will however deter us from standing by our none in such time of dear need.”
On Boko Haram attacks, he claimed that the continous attackin the state was due to the actions of the state government.
“It is widely believed that menace of Boko Harma has continued to persist in spite of the huge resources expanded by the federal government through military operations. It is also clear that what is now feeding the insurgency is directly connected to the deeds and misdeeds of the Borno state government, he added.
They also accused the governor of stifling the economy by awarding contracts to his cronies through direct labour that has no trickle down effect. They further alleged that the Governor has not made any single employment since he assumed office. They also alleged that the government has continued to divert food its meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) even as their numbers continues to swell due to the menace of the sect.
The leader of the delegation said , “It is disheartening that, the grains and other food items donated to the IDPs by well meaning philanthropists are now being used by the governor as campaign tools which he is dishing out to politicians instead of the IDPs.
” While official Borno state govement figuetres put the number of orphans in our state .at over 52,000 and the number of widows at over 55,000 while over 90% of the children of the poor have been out of school throughout his 7-year tenure. And yet not a single mention has been made of these problems in his budgets throughout the 7 years he has been governor, he added.
