For a decade and two years, Boko Haram has terrorised Borno State into a state of war – killing, destruction and misery. What is to be done and how?
To this question, elders from the state are responding as in this case where Engineer Mohammed Abba-Gana, former Minister for the FCT under the Obasanjo administration has put his thoughts in an epistle to the Borno State governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum who has recently stepped up efforts at restoring the state. It reads!
To: Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, FNSE, mni
Executive Governor of Borno State
Government House, Maiduguri
Borno State
8th December 2021
Your Excellency,
The 2022 budget as an instrument of rebuilding
It’s a well-known fact that Borno State is the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency. This means that more than 70% of the casualties, damages and destruction of the more than 12 years of the insurgency are located in Borno State. All wars result in considerable, damages and destruction to infrastructure, facilities, machinery and equipment and human casualties. We are hoping and praying the Boko Haram insurgency will end soon.
(2). War damages/destructions are treated as special damages/destructions and so always and everywhere requires not only national but also international efforts and assistance in the reconstruction and rehabilitation activities. Because the budgetary allocations are no longer enough the state government if left alone will take up to 40 years or even more to restore things to normalcy.
(3). This is the reason why immediately after the 2nd World War the famous Marshal Plan was set up to restore Germany to normalcy. Therefore, a state like Borno State cannot be left alone to recover from more than 12 years of insurgency damages on its own resources as more than 70% of the war or insurgency damages are within Borno State.
(4). As social and economic infrastructure are very necessary for the proper functioning of any economy; construction of extensive network of roads, health and educational buildings and facilities, housing, urban and rural water supply, urban renewal, agricultural services, dams and irrigation systems, electricity supply networks – both solar and grid supply etc.
(5). As can be seen from paragraph 4 above the needs list is enormous and therefore a properly designed masterplan for restoration of Borno State must be made with provisional financial needs, so that as soon as the insurgency ends restoration works begin in earnest.
(6). In the meantime there are things the Borno State Government can be assisted to do – nationally and internationally. Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, has now population of more than 2 million people. Thousands of people from rural Borno are now living in Maiduguri with their relatives. Urban water supply for Maiduguri is very urgent. Quite a number of states are having World Bank assistance to improve their urban and rural water supply.
(7). The Alau Dam and Biu Dam can be utilized for this purpose. And enough security can be mobilized for works to go on. Township roads and at least 3 or 4 modern markets for Maiduguri and one for Biu. And surprisingly Biu town, the largest urban & commercial centre in southern Borno is relatively safe from Boko Haram.
(8). The insurgency in Borno State is now more than 12 years old. Throughout this period because of the insurgency Borno people are missing in the allocation and execution of capital projects in respective Federal & State ministries, departments and agencies. While 35 other States and FCT are getting some of their federal projects executed nobody is talking about what happened to those in Borno State, 2nd largest State in Nigeria. Are these projects approved for Borno State but not executed saved for future consideration or forgotten?
(9). The issue in paragraph 8 above cannot be left for the Borno State Governor alone to handle. Our members of National Assembly, our top Federal Government appointees, civil society and professionals and leaders of private sector of Borno State must all join our State Governor in getting in cash (for later use) or in kind. i.e., unexecuted projects of the insurgency years should be considered for execution at the end of insurgency.
(10). Your Excellency, the above are my personal points for your consideration and further action.
Signed
Engr. Muhammed Abba-Gana, CON
Former FCT Minister
