Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has lamented the economic cost of fighting insecurity, saying his administration has spent about N100bn this year to improve the security situation in the state.
He disclosed this on Thursday when he paid royal homage to the Emir of Uba, Ali Ibn Mamza, at his palace in Uba town, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, in the southern part of the state.
The governor said the visit aimed to assess the security situation in Askira/Uba, lamenting that persistent insecurity had forced contractors to abandon road construction projects in the area.
He said, “My visit is to do a lot of work and, most especially, assess the security situation. Security is important; without it, there would be no peace. I have plans to construct roads, but the problem is no contractor will want to come down and work here. That’s why I am establishing a quarry site in Gwoza and purchasing 100 trucks so that our road maintenance agency can construct roads.
“In this year, what I spent on security is about N100bn. If there is peace, why wouldn’t I use it to do some developmental projects? We have many plans for education, health and more. The truth is that we are spending a lot on security and putting structures on the ground,” Zulum noted.
He assured the people that road construction would commence in the near future, along with the establishment of higher education institutions, computer centres and more.
Responding, the Emir of Uba, Ali Ibn Mamza, noted that Governor Zulum’s administration had done well despite the insecurity challenges facing the state.
He said, “You’ve done a lot for us with many projects. If not for you, we would be suffering. We will continue to pray for lasting peace in Borno and the entire country,” he assured.
PUNCH Online recently reported that 12 teenagers abducted in Askira/Uba Local Government Area have regained their freedom.
A statement posted on the Nigerian Army’s official Facebook page (@HQNigerianArmy) about the rescued victims stated that they were abducted on their family’s farmlands.
“They were freed on Saturday, 29 November, following a swift, intelligence-led operation by troops of Operation HADIN KAI in the southern Borno axis,” it noted.
The statement listed the rescued victims to include: Fatima Shaibu (17), Fatima Umaru (15), Hauwa Abubakar (18), Saliha Muhammed (15), Sadiya Umaru (17), Amira Babel (15), Zara Adamu (17), Nana Shaibu (15), Zainab Musa (18), Zainab Muhammed (17), Jamila Saidu (15) and Hauwa Hamidu (17).
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