by Segun Amure
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has since his assumption of office on 29th May, 2019 carved a niche for himself in the hearts of the children, young, old, and adults of the state.
The 51 years old born Mafa Professor of Agricultural Engineering has prioritized building of houses across Borno State as the only succor to the large number of people who have become homeless due to the insurgency besetting the state.
Located in the North-eastern Nigeria, Borno State has been the epicenter of the Islamist group Boko Haram since it began its operations in 2009. Undoubtedly, over 1000 people were said to have been reportedly killed in July, 2009. Relatedly, in December, 2020, more than 76 rice farmers were said to have been killed among others.
It would be recalled that Gov Zulum has also been the target of several failed assassination attempts by the Boko Haram insurgent.
On July 29, 2020, Gov Zulum’s convoy was attacked by Boko Haram insurgents on Maiduguri-Damaturu highway. Five people were killed including three policemen.
On 26 September 2020, Zulum and his convoy were again attacked by Boko Haram near Lake Chad. At least 18 people were reportedly killed, including 14 police officers and soldiers and 4 civilians. The death toll was later updated to 30 as more bodies were found.
Gov Zulum and the Vision of Home for All
Until he was elected as the Executive Governor of Borno State, Gov. Zulum had previously served under the former Governor, Kashim Shettima’s administration in 2015, as the Commissioner of Reconstruction,Rehabilitation and Resettlement in the state.
Gov Zulum’s vision of home for all was affirmed with the year 2020, N5.2 billion released by Federal Government to complete 10,000 houses for 1.7 million Internally Displaced Person (IDP) returnees in Borno State.
According to the Governor, the returnees are currently taking refuge in IDP camps in Maiduguri, Dikwa, Monguno, Dalori, and three border communities in Cameroon.
Going further, Governor Zulum also defied all odds by inaugurating another 580 New Houses for indigent people who had been living in refugee camps for years.
The event that was held on Thursday, June 3, 2021, was attended by Borno State government officials, the district head of Auno and the general public.
The Babagana Zulum administration has distributed 580 houses to the displaced in an effort to persuade them to leave the IDP camp.
The houses were built by the state Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement with the approval of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.
Also in November 2020, Gov. Zulum’s housing and urban renewal donated 50 units of one-bedroom semi-detached houses to University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) staff.
Commissioning the completed houses on Friday at the university campus, the governor said the state government would intervene and liaise with a Microfinance Bank (MIFB) for staff to own their houses.
His words read, “Besides donating these houses to the university, staffers are to pay instalmentally through their salaries on an owner-occupier housing scheme,”.
“With the donation of houses to staff, I also promised that potable water requirements of the institution will be met,” he said.
Recently, Gov Zulum’s commitment to the provision of affordable housing in Borno State was seen as he permanently moves to bring back families displaced by Boko Haram in parts of Chibok.
In his words, Gov. Zulum appreciated Family Homes Fund in the delivery of 200 houses in Chibok.
“I would like to pay special tribute to Family Homes Funds Limited for the very significant role the company played in the financing of this project which led to the timely delivery of the 200 houses we commissioned in Chibok, and more others we shall soon be commissioning in other locations as they are delivered.
His statement partly reads, “Family Homes has proven that it is out to make a genuine difference in increasing access to mass housing in Borno State and Nigeria. We have a partnership for the development of thousands of houses to complement other major efforts of the state government, as well as ongoing construction of 10,000 houses as approved by President Buhari in a federal government’s intervention.
“We are grateful to Family Homes for the company’s genuineness and productivity and we are mightily grateful to President Buhari for the bold intervention towards resettlement of thousands of families displaced by insurgents across Borno,” Zulum said while speaking with some stakeholders on Tuesday in Damboa.
The Borno State Government had in September, 2019, taken advantage of the federal government’s social housing scheme and entered into an agreement with Family Homes Funds for the construction of 3,200 low-cost houses for resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and another 1,700 homes for civil servants with low income.
However, the Gov Zulum administration has given much hope to the Borno residents that all is well that ends well.
