By Francis Okoye, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum has urged president Bola Tinubu to listen to those who will tell him the truth about security situation in the country as against those that sit at their comfort zones to give misinformation and miscommunication on the nation’s security challenges.
Governor Zulum said this on Wednesday while fielding question on the security situation in Borno amid resurgence of attacks, in a News Central’s morning programme titled ” Breakfast Central “.
The Governor also called on the federal government to remove bureaucracy in the acquiring of military hardware and software, adding that when he a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff ,the Army boss said he doesn’t want a kobo to be given to him for procurement of military equipment, but would prefer the federal government to directly procure the equipment from other nations.
He said,” The problem of the country is that people don’t say the right thing. People stay at their comfort zones giving misinformation and miscommunication.
” The military has what it takes to defeat the terrorists, the president should also listen to them. I had meeting with them, I have seen zeal of commitment as well as intelligence in them . Iam calling for removal of bureaucracy from the procurement of military hardware and software. Both the federal and state government will come together to pull resources and buy the technological equipment that would end the insurgency.
” Above all , the relationship between the national and state government has be in quantum to end the insurgency. The next is non kinetic measures. Kinetic measures cannot end insurgency. We have to look into the political and economic aspect of this crisis. Poverty, good road infrastructure among others have to be addressed.”
The Governor recalled that in 2022, the State government lost about 5000 classrooms, 300 healthcare facilities, 1600 water facilities to the terrorists, saying that about 100,000 widows and orphans was harvested in the Boko Haram insurgency.
He said even though the state government has rebuilt most of the destroyed structures, the recent resurgence of attacks saw destruction of facilities, but assured that with the help of the federal government, the destroyed facilities would soon be rebuild.
Governor Zulum said the State government has established many platforms in order to increase the livelihood of the people.
He commended the efforts of the Bank of Industry ( BOI ) , the federal ministry of Agriculture and others in complementing the efforts of the State government in rebuilding the lives of the victims of insurgency .
” I want to assure you that few facilities that were recently destroyed can be rebuilt very soon with the support of the federal government, ” Prof Zulum said. End
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