By Daily Trust
On Wednesday last week, Governor Kashim
Shettima of Borno State temporarily relocated his office from the state
capital, Maiduguri to Bama town in Bama Local Government Area. He personally
led the way to fast track efforts to rebuild the town and ensure the relocation
of hundreds of thousands of its natives who are now refugees in Maiduguri and
other places.
Bama, once Borno State’s second largest town,
later became the ground zero of Boko Haram destruction. Insurgents first
attacked the town on April 25, 2013 and burnt down over 500 houses. They
attacked it again on May 7, 2013; on August 4, 2013; on August 24, 2013 and
ultimately overrun it on September 1, 2014. Hundreds were killed; most of the
population fled and Bama was under Boko Haram’s brutal control until March last
year when the Army retook it. Before they fled, the terrorists destroyed 80 per
cent of the town including residential houses, hospitals, motor parks, police
stations, the Army barracks, prison, local government secretariat, markets and
the emirs’ palace.
With the gradual return of peace in Borno
State, Governor Kashim Shettima, who for years has been feeding millions of
refugees, made reconstructing communities and resettling refugees his state
government’s top priority. He moved into Bama with his aides, engineers,
artisans, heavy equipment and trucks loaded with building materials and started
reconstructing the ravaged town. He also promised to do same for other towns
and villages.
On arrival Shettima said, “When I mooted the
idea of coming to Bama, a lot of people advised that I should not come. But any
life that is not worth taking risks is not worth living. I told the critics
that our soldiers are there putting their lives on the line and getting
separated from their families so we can have peace. The soldiers also have
blood running in their veins. I am fully prepared to be here for days to come;
one week, two weeks or even more. I will not leave until we are able to rebuild
a good number of private houses, municipal buildings, markets, schools and
clinics. I want the reconstruction work to take proper shape before I leave. We
cannot wait forever before we reclaim our destiny.”
We commend the governor for his bravery and
for his single minded commitment to his duties and to the welfare of his people.
No part of Nigeria has suffered the destruction that Borno State suffered since
the Civil War ended in 1970. The choice of Bama, which is 75 kilometres away
from Maiduguri and shares borders with neighbouring Cameroon, is strategic
because its rebuilding will facilitate the return of hundreds of thousands of
people and revive a once bustling economic nerve centre.
Despite Governor Shettima’s gallant efforts,
it is clear to all that rebuilding Borno State is far beyond the capacity of
the state or even the Federal Government. A recent preliminary report prepared
for the World Bank said Borno State lost 20,000 citizens and suffered property
damage worth $5.9bn to Boko Haram. The report tagged: “Post Insurgency Recovery
and Peace Building Assessment” said 30 per cent of all private houses in the
state were destroyed by insurgents. Also destroyed, it said, were 5,335
classrooms and 201 health centres while many dispensaries and general hospitals
were damaged.
Now that reconstruction work is in full swing,
all national and international hands must be on deck to assist this historic
effort. The Presidential Committee on the North East, headed by General T.Y
Danjuma and all other partners at home and abroad should swing into action and
consolidate on the efforts of the Borno State governor. Shettima’s presence in
Bama encouraged local community leaders to mobilize 500 new Civilian JTF and
vigilantes to work closely with the military to strengthen security. The
federal government also deployed 200 Mobile Policemen and other para-military
men including Civil Defence and Immigration to restore civil authority in Bama.
We commend Governor Kashim Shettima for setting a very good example in a most
challenging period.
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