Moment Shettima insulted ex-classmate, says he’s languishing with mediocre bank

Vice President Kashim Shettima has been caught on camera insulting his former classmate, one Mr Usman Oladipo.

While addressing lawmakers during the 10th National Assembly retreat in Akwa-Ibom state on Friday, Shettima urged them to count themselves among the luckiest and undeserving crop of Nigerians given that his former classmate, Usman Oladipo, who got awarded “the best-graduating student” of his 1991 masters degree programme was now “languishing” in a mediocre financial institution.

“We are the luckiest among Nigerians; we are not better than our next-door neighbour. Yesterday, I hosted my classmate from the University of Ibadan, the MSc class of 1991,” the vice-president said at the event.

In an attempt to make legislators understand the privilege of their positions and why they must work for the country’s progress, the vice president demeaned a former classmate and went as far as to divulge his identity, according to the Peoples Gazette report.

“The best-graduating student in my class was Usman Oladipo. Oladipo is languishing as a DGM in one mediocre bank. He was the best-graduating student, and that goes to show that we are here not because we are the best of the best,” he added.

The unguarded utterances by the vice president has drawn heavy criticism and regarded as uncouth for Nigeria’s second citizen.

Mr Shettima’s condescending remarks have so far run afoul to his claims of finding power to be an “humbling” experience.

“Power is a gift from God. We are going to spend more of our lives outside power than in power. Power to me is a humbling experience. Power should be used for the good of the people,” Mr Shettima, who has a notorious history of denigrating political colleagues and ordinary citizens, said.

Kalu Idika

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