Kashim Shettima: Beyond Oratory Skill
By AbdurRaheem S. Dembo
It is no longer a strange thing that when you listen to the Vice President Kashim Shettima in any forum you wouldn’t let the moment pass without smiling good. He is endowed with the ability to play around words, because he is a master of diction.
Examining his eloquence suggests the fact that he reads alot as such, he will always be on top of his audience in the language he uses in communicating, which is basically English language.
The recent visit by the Vice President to the victims of the military bombing of civilians in Tundun Biri, Kaduna state has confirmed Kashim Shettima as one with a large heart and compassion. You may say he is the Vice President, so it is his responsibility to go there. Yes you might be right, but his gesture towards the patients was beyond ordinary visit.
If you are not conversant with showing concern with the people’s plight and you don’t have fellow feelings you won’t embark on such. So one should give it to him that he is large-hearted and compassionate. He took his time to tour the wards one after the other, interacted with the victims and gave them some cash from his own pocket.
He led the Federal Government delegation to Kaduna on 7/12/2023 to commiserate with the Government and good people of Kaduna state. He showed love and care to those he had visited at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna.
While on the visit he conveyed the message from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that whoever is found culpable of the bombardments of Tudun Biri village that killed over 90 villagers would be punished accordingly. The Vice President equally said “it is already directed by Mr President, an investigation is being conducted with a view to preventing a re-occurence of the incident and we expect a report to be submitted in the shortest possible time”.
Shettima also said President was deeply concerned about the incident and the families affected.According to him”There is no gain in dwelling too much on this incident that has happened.I am here because the president is deeply concerned;he was deeply touched by what happened.
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Let’s not talk about the numbers,one life lost in cold blood is as gruesome as millions lost in a progrom.The heart of the president is with the bereaved families..”
He also assured that all victims would be supported by the Federal Government and reiterated that President Tinubu was committed to the total eradication of terrorism and banditry in the Northern region and other parts of the country.
It is significant to say that Shettima was received on arrival in Kaduna State by Governor Uba Sani who accompanied him to Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital where he sympathized with the victims.
The Speaker of the of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru,and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje were among Shettima’s entourage.
The recent military accidental bombing of villagers who were celebrating the birth of Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) in Tundun Biri, Kaduna state has attracted both local and international condemnation.
Meanwhile the military had taken the responsibility and assured that such ugly incident won’t happen again. They also commiserated with the family of the victims and assured them of their support. The Chief of Army Staff, LT General Taoreed Lagbaja was at Tundun Biri on Monday on a condolence visit and assured them of the Army’s support.
Some mouthpiece of the opposition had taken to social media to criticise Tinubu’s administration for not paying prompt visit to the victims but Shettima’s visit has shut their mouth. Yes, it is generally believed that constructive criticism is an ingredient of a robust and working democracy; it helps the government to be aware of their inadequacies and address it with utmost alacrity.
Most importantly, No doubt about the fact that our military has recorded success in the fight against insurgents and bandits but they should step up their intelligence gathering to avoid such a calamitous error in the future. May Allah forgive those that have died in the incident and heal those who are still in the hospital.
Finally, to Shettima, he has proved once again that he is compassionately concerned about the plights of ordinary Nigerians, which should be the focus of any serious government and Tinubu’s administration is toeing in that direction.
May Nigeria succeed