Ime Akpan
The governorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in Borno State, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia has flagged off his campaign saying he is on a mission to rescue the devastated state and provide the basics to help return the dignity of the people of the state.
Speaking at the start of his electioneering at the El Kanemi Stadium in Maiduguri, Mshelia also said his administration would provide free education from primary to secondary school level as well as construct new roads and rehabilitate the existing ones if he wins the March 2 governorship election.
He emphasised that education is paramount in his campaign because he got a similar offer when he was younger and it changed his life.
He further said he intended to run a clean and civilised campaign where peace will be the watch word.
“I intend to run a decent and civilised campaign where peace will be the watch word. I shall show exemplary attitude and encourage all of you my supporters to copy and follow. I shall dwell strictly on issues based campaign and No personal or character assassination on anyone.
“I am personally a lucky citizen of Borno because I received good care while growing up and was supported by the Borno State government to go to school up to my being a pilot. I am grateful to our past leaders who then had conscience and feared of God.
“Today, as I drove through our biggest city of Borno to this venue, I could hardly hold back tears of pain; seeing our teeming youth in the state in abject poverty and neglect, not to mention the decay in infrastructure,” he said.
He blamed the current problems in the state on the kind of leadership that foisted itself on the people over time.
Mshelia said Borno’s abundant resources have been plundered by those who the people had entrusted to lead.
“Due to this bad leadership that has raped us of our dignity; we have also found ourselves in the current insecurity situation whereby we now take up arms against ourselves killing thousands of innocent civilians, women and children. Children born 10 years ago have not known what peace is in our dear state.
“Our infrastructural deficit is not the only problem. Our hero’s, civil servants, youths and elderly have been damaged to the point they have all lost their self esteem and dignity.”
“May God forbid that you elect such leaders again on March 2 to continue to plunder our resources.
“If elected, I will reverse this trend by providing the basics to all communities so that we can restart our lives. These will include clean water, primary health care, free education from primary to secondary at least, construct new roads and rehabilitate old ones, reform the civil service where hard work pays off and each and everyone’s dignity will be restored. Retirees will receive their entitlement before current workers always and no more victimisation in the public service will be tolerated,” said Mshelia.
