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Borno: My vision for the next four years

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Borno: My vision for the next four years

By Prof Babagana Umara Zulum

I stand before you today with absolute gratitude to the Almighty Allah, the Giver and taker of power.

I stand before you with absolute humility.

I stand here with the greatest sense of responsibility to you, the good people of Borno State as I accept the mandate to begin our shared journey, which we hope will be of enduring stability and prosperity, for a second term of four years, insha’Allah.

For me, serving you, the good people of Borno State has been the greatest honour of my life and I hereby reaffirm, that insha’Allah, I will never lose focus in the discharge of my obligation towards the people of Borno State.

I will like to once again thank you the people of Borno State for renewing our mandate for a second term. I thank all the stakeholders of our party, the APC, from the national to our state, local government and ward levels for their extreme hard work in persuading and mobilizing voters which led to our resounding victory in the February and March, 2023, elections.

Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is expected that standing here to begin another term should make me the happiest person in our midst.

While this could be true, let me add that what makes me the happiest man here is not the commencement of a second term, but the fact that Allah is granting us peace in Borno State, and with that peace, one million fellow citizens are no longer living in IDP camps. They are safely living with their dignity in over 20,000 newly built and rehabilitated resettlement homes and in their ancestral communities which we rebuilt. In a similar vein, we restored civil authority and basic amenities, and re-opened for livelihoods.

Fellow citizens, nothing makes me happy like visiting and seeing our hitherto displaced brothers and sisters living in their safe communities, trying to decently earn livelihoods.

I am always happy whenever I visit Baga, Damasak, Kala Balge, Monguno, Gwoza, Bama, Damboa, Askira, Banki, Baga, Gamboru, Dikwa, Ngoshe, Kirawa and all other liberated communities across Borno State.

I am at my happiest level when I see how life has returned to liberated communities and how our fellow citizens go about their social and economic activities not only during the day but also at night.

This is essentially the reason I enjoy spending nights in local government areas.

I am happy that with Allah’s Graciousness; with the gallantry of our military, police, DSS, other paramilitary establishments and our volunteers in the CJTF, hunters and vigilantes, Borno secured the peace that enabled us to execute over 700 capital projects sited across our three senatorial zones of north, south and central.

Ordinarily, I ought to skip enumerating the projects we executed, but I also need to account to you and justify your decision in re-electing us for a second term.

This is why I should take some time to say that with your support, we came up with development plan for Borno State and we are following that plan carefully.

We have built, rehabilitated and equipped over 100 healthcare centres, and we have recruited over 1000 medical staff made up of doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, radiologists and lab scientists. We are currently building our own State University Teaching Hospital.

With your support, we have invested heavily in our existing state University and commenced academic activities since 2019. We now have Federal Polytechnic in Monguno and a Federal College of Education in Gwoza.

We have built 24 new mega schools some of which are dedicated to technical education. We rehabilitated 108 existing schools, employed about 1,000 teachers and in the process of recruiting about 4000 more.

On the issue of teachers, we took a drastic measure of subjecting all our teachers to quality evaluation the outcome of which has enabled us to identify those who cannot teach in our schools, while we identified those eligible for payment of minimum wage and started paying the minimum wage for the qualified ones.

As part of building Borno’s future, we have banned political thuggery and are reforming our youths previously into thuggery. We have drastically reduced street begging by giving conditional cash and other social support to physically challenged persons and other vulnerable citizens.

We are training thousands of youths on vocational skills. We have built an outstanding Vocational Training Institute in Muna, Mafa and Magumeri and one of them is so far training hundreds of youths on different skills. We have other vocational centres coming to limelight in other parts of the state.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, in the midst of all that we have achieved, we must recognize that without peace, we could never have executed all these projects.

In the last four years, we have distributed close to 1,500 patrol vehicles with logistics as part of support to our military, other armed forces and volunteers in the Civilian JTF, hunters and vigilantes in our fight against Boko Haram. We drastically recruited, equipped and mobilized thousands of volunteers and we have supported families of armed forces, and volunteers with scholarships for their orphans.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our soldiers, police, DSS, paramilitary and volunteers have made supreme sacrifices. Hundreds of them died so that we can safely gather here in peace. We must at all times continue to remember them. These fallen armed forces, paramilitary and volunteers are the real heroes of Borno State. We must not only remember them in our prayers, but we must try to support their families.

During our second tenure in shaa Allah, we shall sustain the current peace in Borno and shall strengthen our security architecture to completely eliminate all forms of insurgency in the state. Open up our rural roads and in shaa Allah will resume Night travels in Borno.

Provision and access to basic Health services to every citizen is paramount, to that effect, we will recruit additional 1500 health workers, construct orthopedic Hospital in Maiduguri, construct Eye Hospital and a Dental unit one each in Northern and Southern Borno. Build two (2) school of nursing one each in Southern and Northern Borno for training of our upcoming Nurses and in our effort to adequate provision of human resources for the health sector. Complete the ongoing construction of State Teaching Hospital and build additional three (3) Hospitals in Maiduguri.

Insha’Allah, we will in the coming days and weeks, implement some policies, especially on education, because education is the foundation of growth. Without sound education, a society may not easily attain its vision.

Although we have built dozens of new Mega-Size schools and expanded existing schools with about 1000 new classrooms, we are still faced with issues of congestion in classrooms, and with the worse problem of having thousands of out-of-school children despite being of school-ages.

I am happy to announce that Borno State will soon commence afternoon primary and secondary schools system.

I am appointing an implementation committee to workout modalities of starting afternoon school system, and it will be identifying pilot schools to be selected from some of our mega schools in Maiduguri which have good lightening systems.

I recognize that having morning and afternoon schools system will entail increased staffing. As part of the staffing of our afternoon schools, I recommend that the committee should work with the office of the Head of Service to carefully identify well certificated and competent civil servants, especially many of those who are currently redundant at secretariats, We can train them on school-orientation and post them to hold teaching and non-teaching positions in our afternoon schools.

Towards preparing ourselves for afternoon schools, we recognize that teaching in classrooms may extend to early portions of the night, for that we will adopt some security measures.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I had said earlier that we will be introducing some measures that we hope will improve the standard of our basic education in our dear State like the re – introduction of Mock Examination in secondary schools, we will establish 6 (six) centres of excellence to harness potentials from less priviledge children by providing an enabling environment for them to full realise their potentials, construct additional secondary and primary schools and as well rehabilitate 100 schools, recruit additional 5000 teachers and ensure adequate resources for Education.

I am sure some people may argue that why are we particular about education, and even at that, why focusing on primary and secondary schools?

The obvious reason is because the foundation of education is the primary and secondary school. When a student gets it wrong at the primary and secondary level, he or she is unlikely to do well at tertiary schools, to that effect, I must say that some of our policies will be tough.

Another obvious reason is that all disciplines whether to become doctor, engineer, lawyer, pharmacist, nurse or whatever profession, the foundation will be primary and secondary school. A bad start will end up with bad professionals in whatever field, to give effect to a good start, we shall provide vehicles to education secretaries and zonal inspectorate officers to strengthen their capacities for effective monitoring.

This is why we are particular about primary and secondary schools. But let me add that our measures will not only be punitive but also rewarding.

Fellow citizens, in this our second term, we will continue our ongoing efforts and drill 200 Hybrid Powered Boreholes, and also construct water works in MMC, Jere, Gajiram, Magumeri, Gubio and Azare Town of Hawul Local Government Area. Increase the capacity of Alau Dam supply scheme to release more raw/treated water to MMC and its environs.

We plan to establish sprinkler and drip irrigation systems in all Local Government areas and construct Nine (9) Earth Dams in the State. We also plan to continue the procurement of Agricultural implements (Harrows and Ploughs) which we will attach to 312 Tractors procured by my predecessor, for onward distribution to farmers across our 312 wards so as to provide food security through enhanced modern Agriculture.

We also plan to construct Teachers’ quarters in Biu, Hawul, Dikwa and Gajiram Towns of the State; establish 3 Mega Higher Islamic Colleges in Gwoza, Bama and Kukawa Local Government Areas of the State, Construct additional 20 High Islamic Schools in our quest for all Local Government Areas to have at least one higher Islamic school, and construct more Mega-size Community Schools in the state.

We intend to consolidate in our resettlementment effort by resettling of Abadam, Malumfatori, Gudumbali, Kareto, Ashigashiya, Wala, Yamteke, Modube, Bita, Dalwa, Sandiya, Kumshe, Gulumba, Gajibo, Logumane, Kala, Wumbi, Karnowa, Mile-fourty, Kekeno, Kumowon, Mbuta, Koshebe, Maiwa, Kirenuwa, Marte, Ala, Kaje, Gashigar, Asaa amongst others. We also plan to close all or greater percentage of IDP camps in all the 27 LGAs and resettle them in a dignified manner in collaboration with our development partners and international communities.

It is also part of our immediate target to construct 500 Housing Units in Biu and Magumeri Local Government Areas just as we work towards completing ongoing construction of 500 Housing Units in Logumani and Gajibo towns. In addition, we shall construct additional 10,000 low-cost houses and rehabilitate thousands of destroyed ones.

On infrastructure, we intend to do so much in the second term. We already awarded contract for a flyover around Borno Express. We plan to construct an outer ring road by-pass from Auno, Kano Road to Chabbal, Gubio road and from Auno, Kano road to Damboa/Biu road. We also plan to construct township roads in Monguno and to embark on some critical road in Northern Borno just as we plan to complete Maiduguri – Bama Road possibly this year. In addition, we also plan to construct feeder road from Ngala – Rann. We also plan to complete Damboa – Chibok road, and rehabilitate Maiduguri – Damboa, Bama – Banki, Dikwa – Ngala, Maiduguri – Monguno amongst others. We plan to complete the Miringa – Gunda and the Marghi Highway. We also plan to address flood problems in Maiduguri, UBA, Bayo amongst others.

We shall complete rehabilitation of all our destroyed Energy Lines and ensure that all our LGAs are connected to the National Grid. Resuscitate our moribund industries, establish industrial parks, free trade zones and dry ports in sha Allah with a view to creating job opportunities to Youths and Women.
In shaa Allah, I will provide strong commitment and political will to support NNPC in its on-going Oil exploration in Borno and ensure that Borno becomes Oil producer before I leave.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a lot in my mind, but as we did at the start of our first term, I will like to visit all our 27 local government within the next three months, and hold interactions with community leaders, with a view to providing community driven approach projects.

At the headquarters of each of our 27 LGAs, I will like us to discuss and agree on priority projects that we will achieve within two years of our second term.

Before my visit, I implore stakeholders and community leaders to start holding discussions to identify the priorities of their communities. I however caution that we should be realistic in our deliberations. We should aim to identify projects that are achievable within the limits of our resources, time, our capabilities and the realities of usefulness.

Fellow citizens, we all have obligation to make Borno work. For me, that many of you address me with the prefix of Your Excellency, you remind me that I am required to deliver excellence in order to merit that title. Leadership, for me, has less to do with the title but more to do with the services we can render, more to do with the peace we can establish, the progress we can develop and the social, economic and environmental changes we can bring.

Our vision is to open more pathways to progress for the people of Borno State by opening up the rural areas, bringing services closer to the people more especially setting up 27 micro finance banks to ensure financial inclusion of our people, setting up 27 ICT centres in the state, listening to the people, identifying, nurturing and developing talents that will take Borno to the next level in the nearest future.

I am very conscious of the fact that we cannot use the ideas of yesterday to run the dreams of tomorrow. That is why this second term will be about consolidation and strengthening the state systems to domesticate good practices in service delivery and response to the needs of our people. We plan to be flexible in continuing the things that we did well in the first term while we find new solutions to old problems.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I humbly invite you on the journey of consolidation, the journey of dreams, our collective adventure into legacy. Let us work together and bring ideas that can help our state to move forward. Our languages may be many. Our tribes and ethnic affiliation may be different. Our political persuasion might not be the same. We must understand that as human beings and as people of Borno State, we hold a common destiny and have a duty of care towards all citizens regardless of their position in society. In fact, we owe more to those who have no voice. We owe greater debt of responsibility to those who are struggling.

Borno State remains a huge construction site of progress. Consolidating the gains that we have made requires focus and determination. We cannot be distracted by any other ambitions, no matter how pressing those may be. It is therefore important for us to maintain stability, continuity and strengthening our system to a point where things would be even better than they were in the past. I will not fail you in the sacred duty entrusted in our care in this respect, In Sha Allah.

In summary, our promises remain the same. Our commitment is unwavering. In fact, we will review the promises we made and identify which ones have not been met and why. We will take these issues forward and do more within the limit permissible by law and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Today is not the day of long speeches. There is work to be done.

I will round up by congratulating His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the President, Command in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his Vice, our very own Distinguished Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, for their victory at the polls. We commit ourselves to supporting them to succeed in every capacity required.

I take this opportunity to profoundly thank His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for his unflinching support, dedicated attention and concern for Borno State and the northeast in general throughout his tenure as the President of Nigeria.

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies, Gentlemen and leaders of thought, every voice in Borno State counts and we will continue to listen to good ideas that are selfless and in the interest of all the people of Borno State. Borno project is a collective project and we count on your support every step of the way.

Finally, my dear people of Borno State, this is the time yet again for all of us to unite towards returning the greatness of Borno State.

To all government officials- those in offices and those to be appointed, let us be in the constant reminder that the good people of Borno demand high level of probity, accountability and transparency from us, as such we must continue to demonstrate leadership for the sake of selfless services and with fear of Allah.

May Allah (SWT) bless the land of Borno, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thank you so much. Assallamalaikum Waramatullah Wabarakatuhu.

Being text of Governor’s inauguration speech at his swearing-in for second term in office, May 29, 2023; Ramat Square, Maiduguri, Borno State.

Borno: My vision for the next four years

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International

OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

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OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

By: Michael Mike

This month, leaders will gather in Sevilla, Spain, on a rescue mission: to help fix how the world invests in sustainable development.

The stakes could not be higher. A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and many global commitments to finance them, two-thirds of the targets are lagging. And the world is falling short by over $4 trillion annually in the resources developing countries need to deliver on these promises by 2030.

Meanwhile, the global economy is slowing, trade tensions are rising, aid budgets are being slashed while military spending soars, and international cooperation is under unprecedented strain.

The global development crisis is not abstract. It is measured in families going to bed hungry, children going unvaccinated, girls being forced to drop out of school and entire communities deprived of basic services.

We must correct course. That begins at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, where an ambitious, globally supported plan to invest in the Sustainable Development Goals must be adopted.

That plan should include three essential elements.

First, Sevilla must help accelerate the flow of resources to the countries who need it most. Fast.

Countries must be in the driver’s seat, mobilizing domestic resources by strengthening revenue collection and addressing tax evasion, money laundering and illicit financial flows through international cooperation. This would provide much-needed resources to prioritize spending on areas with the greatest impact such as education, healthcare, jobs, social protection, food security, and renewable energy.

At the same time, national development banks, regional and Multilateral Development Banks need to come together to finance major investments.

To support this, the lending capacity of these banks needs to triple so developing countries can better access capital on affordable terms with longer timelines.

This increased access should include re-channeling of unconditional reserve assets — or Special Drawing Rights — to developing countries, preferably through Multilateral Development Banks to multiply their impact.

Private investment is also essential. Resources can be unlocked by making it easier for private finance to support bankable development projects and by promoting solutions that mitigate currency risks and combine public and private finance more effectively.

Throughout, donors must keep their development promises.

Second, we must fix the global debt system. It is unfair and broken.

The current borrowing system is unsustainable, and developing countries have little confidence in it. It’s easy to see why. Debt service is a steamroller crushing development gains, to the tune of more than $1.4 trillion a year. Many governments are forced to spend more on debt payments than on essentials like health and education combined.

Sevilla must result in concrete steps to reduce borrowing costs, facilitate timely debt restructuring for countries burdened by unsustainable debt, and prevent debt crises from unfolding in the first place.

In advance of the conference, a number of countries put forward proposals to ease the debt burden on developing countries. This includes making it easier to pause debt service in times of emergency; establishing a single debt registry to strengthen transparency; and improving how the IMF, World Bank and credit-ratings agencies assess risks in developing countries.

Finally, Sevilla must raise the voice and influence of developing countries in the international financial system so it better serves their needs.

International financial institutions must reform their governance structures to enable greater voice and participation of developing countries in the management of the institutions they depend on.

The world also needs a fairer global tax system, one shaped by all governments — not just the wealthiest and most powerful.

The creation of a “borrowers club” for countries to coordinate their approaches and learn from one another is another promising step toward addressing power imbalances.

The meeting in Sevilla is not about charity. It’s about justice, and building a future in which countries can thrive, build, trade, and prosper together. In our increasingly interconnected world, a future of haves and have-nots is a recipe for even greater global insecurity that will keep weighing down progress for all.

With renewed global commitment and action, Sevilla can spark new momentum to restore a measure of faith in international cooperation and deliver on sustainable development for people and planet.

In Sevilla, leaders must act together to make this rescue mission a success.

OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

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Crime

Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport

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Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport

By:Michael Mike

No fewer than 66 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, packaged as green tea have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the seizure made last Thursday was based on credible intelligence received ahead of the arrival of the consignment at the cargo wing of the airport on 11th May.

Babafemi, in the statement issued on Sunday, disclosed that the NDLEA had watch-listed the shipment, and sustained surveillance around it for over three weeks before inviting other stakeholders for a joint examination last Thursday.

He said the Loud consignment weighing 62.2 kilogrammes was concealed inside wraps of green tea that came from Thailand via UAE on an Emirate Airlines flight.

Babafemi said in another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Monday intercepted a consignment of 1,665 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, along Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects: Gidado Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi were promptly arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Kaduna, operatives of the state command of NDLEA on patrol along Abuja – Kaduna expressway last Tuesday arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam. In another operation same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer Kabiru Musa (a.k.a KB) was arrested at Kurmin Mashi. A total of 25.7 kilogrammes skunk was earlier recovered from his base.
While a total of 9 kilogrammes Loud was recovered from the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon car marked AAA 975 XU driven by Atari Israel, 45, along Auchi road, Edo state, two young women: Favour Joy and Joy Igwe were last Tuesday nabbed at Ikpoba hill area of Benin city. Recovered from them include: 106.57 kilogrammes skunk; 1 kilogramme Loud; 800 grammes Colorado and 302 grammes of methamphetamine.

Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kaduna, and Edo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport

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News

One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

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One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

By U.K. Umar

One year after armed attackers overran Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, a deepening humanitarian crisis continues to haunt the thousands of people who fled the invasion and now live in makeshift camps with no hope of return.

The silence that hangs over the once-thriving agrarian community of Allawa is not just physical, it is a silence of abandonment, neglect and despair.

Since the violent invasion of April 25, 2024, residents who escaped death have become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), living in overcrowded primary school buildings, market stalls and half-roofed compounds in neighbouring towns such as Kuta, Erena and Gwada.

Education has been disrupted. Food is uncertain. Healthcare is nearly non-existent. And worse, hope is fading.

At an abandoned block of classrooms now serving as a displacement shelter in Kuta, Zagazola Media Netowork, met Malam Musa Yakubu, a 47-year-old farmer and father of seven. He sat quietly under the shade of a neem tree, surrounded by three of his children, all barefooted and visibly malnourished.

“This place was once my children’s school. Now it is our home,” he said, forcing a smile. “We sleep on broken desks, on bare floor. During rainy nights, we cover ourselves with nylon bags. My wife cries often because she cannot feed our children.”

Malam Yakubu said he grew up in Allawa and owned over 15 hectares of farmland before the invasion. Today, he depends on handouts from well-wishers.

“The last time we received food aid was three months ago. Since then, we have been living on roasted yam and wild leaves. My children have not seen a classroom since we fled.”

Standing nearby was Amina Ibrahim, 16, who said she dropped out of Junior Secondary School following the attack. Now, she spends her days helping her mother hawk groundnuts in Kuta. I want to return to school,” she said quietly. “But how can I go to school when we have no home, no books, and no peace?”

‘My primary school is a ghost town’

For U.K. Umar, a former resident of Allawa and the writer of this report, the tragedy is personal.

“I attended Central Primary School in Allawa, which is now in ruins,” he recalled. “My childhood friends are now scattered across IDP camps. Some lost their parents. Some were taken by the attackers. We were not just displaced. We were forgotten.”

Umar said the displacement was not just the result of one attack, but a culmination of years of insecurity that was never addressed.

“What happened on April 25, 2024, was the final blow. Security agencies left, and armed groups moved in. What followed was a complete collapse of community life. Now, we are a forgotten people.”

Terror in the shadows

Reports from Shiroro LGA suggest that terror groups now control mining activities across several wards including Kurebe, Kwaki and Kushaka. Residents allegethat the attackers collect levies from artisanal gold miners up to N2 million per site every two weeks. Those who fail to comply are barred from mining, while others are punished.

“Their boys come during the day to collect fuel and money. At night, they disappear into the bush. They even settle disputes among locals. It is like a second government,” said a displaced youth who asked not to be named.

Just two weeks ago, five persons were reportedly abducted in Kwanta Yashi. Locals say they fear speaking out, as they are caught between hunger and violence.

‘Even water is a privilege’

In the Erena IDP settlement, Hajia Halima Abdullahi, 60, spoke through tears.

“I used to be a trader. I had goats and chickens. Now, I beg for drinking water. We fetch from a stream one hour away, and sometimes, we boil it. Other times, we drink it raw.”

She said many elderly displaced persons have developed hypertension and respiratory infections due to harsh conditions.

“There are no drugs. No doctors. Sometimes, we use herbs. Our children are falling sick every day.” It was also observed that the camps lack toilets, clean water, mosquito nets, and electricity. In some shelters, more than ten people sleep in one small room.

‘We feel abandoned’

There is growing frustration among displaced residents over what they describe as state government indifference.

“All we hear are promises. No concrete plan. No official has told us when we can return. It is as if our lives no longer matter,” said Ibrahim Zakari, a youth from Allawa now living in Gwada.

He appealed to the Niger State Government and the Federal Government to urgently intervene.
We are Nigerians too. We voted. We paid taxes. We built our homes and schools. Why have we been left to suffer?”

“You cannot keep over 20,000 displaced people in hopeless conditions for over a year and expect stability. Children are out of school. Teenage girls are being married off. Boys are joining vigilante groups. Trauma is spreading like wildfire,” he warned.

He called on the Federal Government to declare a humanitarian emergency in Shiroro LGA and mobilise the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as well as development partners, to scale up food, water, and shelter support.

“There must be a concrete, time-bound plan for resettlement. These people deserve to go home with safety, dignity, and support.”

Conclusion

One year after the fall of Allawa, the question remains: how long must a people wait?

As Niger State and the Federal Government grapple with rising insecurity, the forgotten people of Allawa continue to live in limbo displaced, distressed, and dangerously ignored.
Their pain is not history. It is ongoing. And unless urgent steps are taken, the crisis may deepen further.

“We have not died,” Malam Musa Yakubu said quietly. “But we are not living either.”

One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

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