President Buhari to pay official visits to Maiduguri on Thursday

By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri

President Muhammadu Buhari expected to be in Maiduguri on Thursday on state viisit to commission some projects executed by the Borno state Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum.

Among the projects that the President includes 4,000 houses constructed by the Federal Government to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Others projects slated for Presidential commissioning, Borno State University, Maiduguri. Borno State Vocational Enterprising Institute, Muna, Government Day Technical Secondary School, Njimtilo, Dr Babagana Wakilbe Memorial School, Abbaganaram Maternal Healthcare Centre, Jiddari polo road and drainage works, Kaleri Resettlement housing

Speaking on the visit, Governor Babagana Zulum said ” Insha’Allah, our President, Muhammadu Buhari, will be coming to Borno State on Thursday, the 17th of June, 2021″.
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*The President is coming to appraise security situation in the northeast, during which he will commission some of developmental projects executed by the state government, “he added.

Governor Zulum said ” the President will also commission the first phase of 10,000 houses which he generously approved and funded, for the resettlement of IDPs and refugees.
I am glad to once again, confirm to you, that the Federal Government under President Buhari has completed 4,000 out of the 10,000 houses approved for our IDPs. Some of these houses are sited in Kaleri, Dalori and more locations. “.

The goveror also said, not long ago, President Buhari gave approval for the NNPC, to establish a power plant for us in Borno. This aims to address our electricity problems in Maiduguri and environs. This landmark project will insha’Allah, greatly impact on small, medium and large scale business to thrive. The project will improve our social conditions and communal security.”.

While urging the people of the state to come enmass to welcome the president, Governor Zulum said ” I most respectfully invite and urge all of us, to come out and honour a President, whose love for Borno has been so obvious…I urge us to demonstrate Borno’s creed of hospitality. Borno is known with the culture of dignity, the culture of respect and the culture of honoring our guests. Let us once again, show the Borno in all of us, as we host our President.”

Nobody is happy with bloodshed, Lay down your arms, give peace a chance , General Eyitawo urges insurgents

By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri

The Operation Hadin Kai of the Nigerian Army has appealed to the remnant of Boko Haram insurgents that are still in the bush to come out to surrender at the nearest military formation and give peace a chance, as nobody is happy with the Bloodshedding.

The Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division of the Nigerian Army,, Brigadier General Abdulwahab Eyitawo who is also the commander sector 1 of Operation Hadin Kai made the appeal yesterday while speaking at a Luncheon organised by the Army to appreciate the media and foster synergy, held at the Wolf Officers Mess, Maiduguri said ” we are not here for bloodletting, no one is happy people are dying”

General Abudlwahab Eyitawo said ” Some of the insurgents do listen to the media, so it is good for us to appeal to them through the media to avoid violence and come forward to seek for forgiveness and reconcile with the people and live happily in the society.

” Nobody including the military is happy with the bloodshed, i therefore, urge you to use the opportunity provided to you by the Federal government and repent, as you will be de-radicalised rehabilitated and reintegrated back to the society,” the GOC added.

He said the recent offensives on the Boko Haram insurgents have yielded result and have decisively dealt with them, leaving them in disarray and assured Nigerians that very soon the Boko Haram madness will come to an end.

While appreciating the media, General Eyitawo said ” in the last three month, since i took up my position in my capacity as GOC, there have never been a time I heard negative story. So I call you here to appreciate you for the positive reportage “.

He said ” we don’t have any country that we can call our own than Nigeria, so I urge the media to join hand with the military, so that together we will restore lasting peace to our dear country, definitely with synergy together, we will win the war”.

Earlier in his welcome address, president Wolf Mess Committee, Brigadier General, S A Emmanuel commended the media for honouring their invitation, adding that “this kind of interaction will foster understanding and synergy between the Army and the media.”

In his votes of thanks, the chairman Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Borno state council, Comrade Bulama Talba said ” on behalf of the working journalists in Borno state, I want to appreciate the Army for the meal and your sacrifices to see that peace to return back to Borno and our dear country. We really appreciate your sacrifices, because, now we can sleep with our eyes closed”

Represented by his secretary, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim assurred the military that the media and Nigerians are behind them saying that ” we are strongly behind you and by the grace of God we will together celebrate the end of Boko Haram.

Also speaking the chairman correspondent’s chapel of the NUJ, Alhaji Haruna Dauda assured the military that the media in the state will continue to work with them until the remnant of Boko Haram are completely wiped out in the state and the country at large.

Counter insurgency, NSCDC organises capacity building workshop to its officers, men in Northeast

By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri

In its efforts to reposition its officers and men,in the ongoing counter insurgency,
the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp ( NSCDC) has organised a three days Capacity Building Workshop to empower its officers and men in the Northeast to tackle Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges in the region.

While declaring the workshop open, the Borno state Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum said ” the workshop was apt and it came at a tight time, as it gives opportunity to the officers and men of the NSCDC the required knowledge to effectively tackle the lingering security challenges in the state and the region at large.

Represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, Governor Zulum further said “the workshop with the theme ” Boosting the capacity and moral of the officers and the men of the NSCDC” is an initiative that need to sustained, as it gives the officers and men the required technics in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the nation. “.

He said the NSCDC has been a dependable partner to the Borno state government in the fight against insurgency and has been supporting the state in its ressettkenent drive and protection of farmers through the Agro Rangers among others, stressing that the state government will do everything possible to support the NSCDC.

Earlier, the Minister of interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola who was represented by his permanent Secretary, Alh Shuabu Belgore assured that the ministry will continue to support the the NSCDC to effectively carry out its mandate .

Speaking the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Audi said ” you will agree with me that the security situation in the country is quite disturbing and is assuming a very dangerous dimension which requires a multi stakeholder approach. One of the major ways we can significantly curtail this dangerous trend is through Human Capital Development for the enhancement of skills, knowledge, and competence of our security personnel”.

” That we are kicking off this workshop from the Northeast region is strategic, considering the prevailing security situation in this region . It is also a pointer to the corps avowed commitment towards strengthening the capacity of its personnel to effectively tackle insecurity in the region in synergy with the military and other security agencies.

Dr Audi said ” the training is apt at this critical time to rejigged and oil our operational machinery for optimal performance , it is therefore, commendable that the Northeast Development Commission and the governors of the Northeast have taken it upon themselves as major stakeholders to invest in the corp with a view to enhancing its capacity,”.

In his remarks, the Managing Director, Northeast Development Commission, (NEDC) Alhaji Mohammed Alkali said NEDC, as a critical.stakeholders in security of the region and the commission has commenced the training of 200 residents of the area on mine detection and demining of unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), in addition to the training of religous, traditional and community leaders on resettlement and how to relate with each other.

In related development, the Borno state Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has appealed to the NSCDC to deploy more men to the state and also consider the recruitment of Borno indigenes and deploy them to the state to effectively fight Boko Haram insurgency.