Maiduguri — Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum had in his first 100 days executed 120 projects. A feat that has eluded most of his counterparts.
The Secretary to the State Government, Usman Jidda Shuwa, announced this in a statement in September 2019. He went further to say that “Of the 120 projects, a total of 61 are located in Borno Central, 43 in Borno south and nine in northern Borno where accessibility is limited due to ongoing military operations.
“From distribution of the 61 projects in Borno Central, Konduga has a total of 20 projects mostly on rural water supply.
“There are 14 projects in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, 10 in Jere, five in Bama, three in Mafa, three in Dikwa, three in Ngala and three projects in Kala-Balge.”
By January 2020, most of the projects had almost reached completion phases.
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, commissioned three projects to address educational and infrastructural challenges for effective service delivery in Biu Local Council.
The commissioning brings to 10, projects unveiled in the education, health and water supply sectors in Gwoza, Hawul and Biu local councils in Borno South all in January 2020.
While commissioning a mega primary school in Biu, the governor said several primary and secondary schools were destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents.
“The decade-long insurgency has led to over 110, 000 widows and orphans in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps of Maiduguri and Damboa,” he said. Zulum, however, assured that the school would absorb some orphans and provide them access to education.
The governor also unveiled the local council and Education Secretariat complexes.Zulum, yesterday, also directed the State Roads Maintenance Agency (BORMA) to complete the 1.5 km road on Baba Nakori Street, Biu in two months.He said the government would embark on additional 4.5-kilometre township road projects.
Months later, Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has in one year, undertaken 326 capital projects and 49 policies and programmes, some of which were capital-intensive, Secretary to the State Government, Usman Jidda Shuwa has announced. Jidda, in a statement on Saturday, explained that under 21 of the capital projects, Zulum’s administration is constructing 6,544 sub-urban and low-cost houses in 12 local government areas, for re-settlement of internally displaced persons and refugees.
The SSG’s statement was to kick-start media engagements lined up to mark the one year in office. Commissioners and heads of boards and agencies are scheduled to begin pictorial-based press conferences from Monday in Maiduguri. Jidda said while his statement was to give statistical overview, commissioners at their sectoral briefings, give specifics of the projects, their status and exact locations.
The SSG continued: “On security, 300 surveillance vehicles were distributed to security agencies and volunteers and these vehicles were captured under one project. On education, 76 projects were carried out including establishment of 21 new schools in 13 LGAs. On healthcare, 46 projects were carried out and they include 37 new primary healthcare centers in 17 LGs. On infrastructure, there are 40 projects in 9 LGs and they include 30 new and rehabilitated roads as well as ongoing construction of Borno’s first flyover in Maiduguri”.
Giving further breakdown, Jidda explained that on restoration of civil authorities in local government areas, Zulum’s administration undertook 53 projects in 21 LGAs, 11 of which were started from scratch while 42 were reconstruction works. The projects centred on council secretariats, lodges, police stations, LEA offices, courts and palaces of resident traditional rulers.
The SSG further explained that Zulum undertook 38 capital projects on water supply including drilling of 213 new boreholes, 18 projects on electrification, 8 on agriculture and 7 on vocational skills and entrepreneurship development.