Governor Kashim Shettima has called on Borno citizens to use the Christmas and upcoming New Year season to deeply reflect, pray and be dedicated towards the speedy rebuilding of communities and public institutions for social services destroyed by insurgents, the resettlement of affected victims as well as the creation of alternative means for them.

Shettima made the call in his Christmas message issued by his spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau, in Maiduguri yesterday.

The governor said while citizens who are not directly affected by the insurgency plan to enjoy the long Christmas holiday, they should make out time to think about the severe trauma faced by over 1.5 million people of Borno State who were forced out of their communities to either become internally displaced in government controlled camps or live in strange places that include taking refuge outside Nigeria.

“I, on behalf of Borno State government felicitate with my Christian brothers and sisters in Borno State at Christmas and pray for a peaceful and joyful celebration.

“I respectfully appeal to all citizens to use the festive reason to deeply reflect on the plight of fellow citizens who currently live outside their homes following vicious attacks by insurgents in many communities across our dear State. These affected citizens, more than 1.5 million of them, internally displaced (within Nigeria) as well as those taking refuge in neighbouring countries, are under severe trauma having lost relations, children, sources of livelihood and forced to live outside their homes.”

He noted that all citizens had a duty to support sincere efforts towards rehabilitating the displaced persons and restoring them “to not just their ancestral homes but to remodeled and befitting homes that should be better than those destroyed.”