News

Zulum: A Beacon Of Hope To Borno’s Less Privileged People

Published

1 year ago

June 23, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Zulum: A Beacon Of Hope To Borno’s Less Privileged People

By Gbenga Akingbule

Born without a silver spoon and struggled through hardwork, perseverance and unwavering desire to succeed, Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum has since become a household name especially amongst the less privileged persons in the state .

Prof. Zulum is always quick to share stories about his humble beginning amongst the high and mighty, a gesture observers view as rare display of humility amongst Nigeria’s political elite

Upon assumption of office in 2019 , Prof Zulum has consistently associated himself with the less privileged,- his former constituency where he got first hand experience of the difficult economic hardship bedeveling many Nigerian less privileged people.

Driven by compassion and his gennue concern to assist the common people, Prof Zulum had on different occasion while on visit to the hinterland, ordered for the immediate halting of his motorcade just to assist locals walking long distance by giving them a ride on his convoy and also give them cash support.

Pfrof Zulum passion to liberate his people from the shackles of poverty and education backwardness has led to rise in budgetary provisions and fund releases for the education sector and key ministries that are aimed at empowering the common people.

For the 2024 buget, the Ministry of Education was allocated the sum of N39 billion to carry out its activities- this effort , amongst others , has removed over one million out- of – school children off the streets of Borno and returned them to the classrooms where their future are being positively shaped to become responsible and productive members of the society.

” Out of 1.8 million out -of- school children in 2021, we have taken measures to reduce the number to less that 800. We’re still working assiduously bring down the number ” Commissioner of Education, Science , Technology and Innovation, Engineer Lawan Abba Wakilbe said

No doubt, the more than a decade long insurgency in Borno State had led many children and their parents to flee trouble areas, thereby obstructing their education where massive destruction to education facilities across the state was evident .

At a recent function during a public lecture held at University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID ) which form part activities to mark the exit of the former Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Prof . Aliyu Shugaba after completing his 5 year tenure, Prof Zulum didn’t mince words when he charged the sea of erudite scholars present at the occasion, majority of whom are indigens of Borno State to think outside the box and collaborate to use education as tool for liberating the people of the state .

Zulum was quick to trip down memory lane and revealed how he battled through pletoral of obstacles in his unquenchable quest to gain quality education that has since transformed his life to become a professor of Soil and Water Engineer and currently serving his second term as governor of Borno state.

” coming from my background, I know how I suffered , where we do not have competent teachers to teach us in our primary and secondary school. I never thought I would be a professor, because both of my parents were not educated, nobody ever told me to do my assignment while in primary school, I was on my own.” Zulun said .

It was therefore not surprising when Governor Zulum recently released the sum of N4.8 Billion as scholarship award to 524 postgraduate students from the state , including orphans and less privileged persons.

The scholarship award according to the governor is meant for foriegn and local postgraduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ( STEM)

In his usual humanitarian and compassion towards the the less privileged irrespective of ethnicity, tribe or religion governor Zulum during an early morning visit to a school in Maiduguri, the state capital gifted a woman form the South East part of the country- a teacher in the school with the sum of N100, 000 cash for always showing up eally to her duty post .

Also , recently, during a visit to launch grains given to the state by Federal Government , Prof Zulum, shortly after the occasion went towards the direction of the local guard guarding the premises and immediately ordered that the sum of N500 000 be given to him – an amount that is more that his 12 month salary.

The 80 year Chadian local guard who had lived in Nigeria for over four decades and has over 20 Children was stunned by the governor’s gesture and said the money will go a long way in ameliorating his financial challenges.

Furthermore, 63 year old Cecelia Joseph, a widow and mother of six children who was part of the one hundred thousand households that benefited from massive food support scheme carried out by the Borno State Governor.

The aim of the food support according to Goverenor Zulum is to ameliorate economic hardship being experienced by many vulnerable families across state including the likes of Cecilia whose husband, a commercial taxi driver was gruesomely murdered by suspected Boko Haram Terrorists over ten years ago.

Since the demise of her husband, Cecilia who had continue to feed from hand to mouth with her six children revealed that Governor Zulum is the first to have reached out to her with any form of assistance- the food support , she said ” will assist me and my six children immensely ”

Prof Zulum had ordered that the food support should be given to all vulnerable residents irrespective of tribe , religion and political affiliations hence paving the way for Cecilia who hails from far away Osun State, a devoted Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) member as well as other beneficiaries who are not indigens of the state .

” I’m so grateful to Governor Zulum for wiping away my tears with this food support. But I would appreciate more support from the governor and other well meaning citizens for the education on my children. ” Cecelia who currently lives in a rented accommodation on the outskirts of Maiduguri , the state capital said .

Governor Zulum had revealed during one of the many food distribution in the state that ” We have never distinguish between Christians and Muslims in our food distribution. What we’re doing is not partisan either , it’s not based on ethnicity or religion ; we advised the community to select one hundred thousand most valuable and bottom poor and this will go a long way in ameliorating the suffering of the masses ”

While warehouses were being looted acros the country during the # EndSARS protests, residents of Borno state were full of gratitude to Governor Zulum for always coming to their aid with his unprecedented distribution of food , cash and clothing to assist the less privileged.

Following the release of N2 Billion intervention by the President Bola Tinubu led Federal governmen to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal Prof. Zulum had announced raising the number of households being targeted for palliatives from 300,000 to 400,000 households.

Each household according to the Governor, will be made up of six family members and multiplied by 400,000 which, by implication, moves Zulum’s new target to two million and four hundred thousand individuals.

“Governor Zulum has continued to stand in the gap for many of the less privileged people in Borno state ” Umar Ali, one of those that recently benefited from the food support scheme established by the governor.

Zulum: A Beacon Of Hope To Borno’s Less Privileged People

News

Police arrest man for alleged killing of 11-year-old son in Kogi

Published

2 hours ago

August 19, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Police arrest man for alleged killing of 11-year-old son in Kogi

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police Command in Kogi has arrested a man, Jato Alhaji Jaye, for allegedly killing his 11-year-old son in Agbaja area of Oworo land, Lokoja Local Government Area.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that on Aug. 19, one Zuberu Adamu of Fulani bush camp, Agbaja village, reported to the police that his sister, Adama Adamu, complained she had not seen her son, Buhari Jato, who went for grazing with his father, Jato Alhaji Jaye, since Aug. 17.

A search party was immediately raised, which led to the discovery of the lifeless body of the boy in the bush. The father was reportedly found at the scene attempting to bury the body in order to conceal his act.

The sources said Police officers from Division ‘B’, Lokoja, rushed to the scene where photographs were taken, the suspect arrested, and the decomposing body released to the family on request for burial according to Islamic rites.

The sources added that during interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime, stating that the deceased had “offended him” while they were rearing animals together. He admitted using a Fulani stick to flog the boy as punishment, which led to his death.

The sources said the case would soon be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lokoja, for further discreet investigation.

Police arrest man for alleged killing of 11-year-old son in Kogi

News

FG Partners for Better Treatment of Nigerian Travelers

Published

2 hours ago

August 19, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

FG Partners for Better Treatment of Nigerian Travelers

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has taken an important stride towards enhancing the security and protection of Nigerian citizens traveling abroad through a partnership with ASFAAR, aims at addressing issues surrounding the integrity of Nigerian data and documents.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, on Tuesday while speaking at the Asfaar Press Launch and Media tour of Visa Processing facilities in Abuja, said Nigerians all over the world are maligned, noting that ASFAAR platform provides additional verification of traveler’s data, including their name, address, and character.

Represented by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communication, Alkasim AbdulKadir, he cited an example of a recent case where a Nigerian woman was wrongly tagged with luggage containing harmful substances.

He noted that: “If that person had come through ASFAAR, what it will have done is that it will have vetted her. It will have known her home address, it will understand her character.”

He stressed the importance of the Ministry’s collaboration with ASFAAR, saying it is part of their mandate to offer maximum support for such a platform.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is established to protect the sovereignty of Nigeria as a country where other countries are concerned, and this is one gateway for us to do that.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the protection and well-being of Nigerian citizens abroad, and this partnership is expected to enhance the security and protection of Nigerian travelers.”

Also speaking, a representative of the Ministry of Justice, Barrister Maculey William, said the partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ASFAAR, aims to streamline the process of obtaining visas and enhance the protection of Nigerian citizens abroad.

“We check the laws, what have we encountered in the past years was that Nigerians have had a tough time, but with this partnership, we are working to change that.”

William also explained that the new system will allow Nigerians to access any embassy with ease and resolve cases efficiently as he highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government and ASFAAR.

“The partnership will provide first-class service to Nigerians, and the sharing of revenue will be kept under the federal executive council. How it’s being shared is being kept under the federal executive council, they are fully in charge.”

On his part, the Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer of Asfaar, Dr. Jamil Hausawi, explained that the partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to ease visa restrictions and challenges faced by Nigerians traveling abroad, particularly to Saudi Arabia.

He said: “We started last November 2024, and one visit in Saudi Arabia due to a lot of complaints of visa restrictions and a lot of challenges Nigerians facing when they are traveling, especially to Saudi, not only for homeland privilege, but even more for work, teaching as a doctor and tourism to the Middle East.”

He further explained that the partnership led to the development of an indigenous digital ecosystem platform that meets international standards, including integration with Nusuk, a platform belonging to the Saudi Arabian government.

Hausawi highlighted the support received from key stakeholders, including the Office of the Vice President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said: “The main objective of this initiative is to make existing name registration the primary tool for any business application, ensuring that applicants are verified as Nigerian citizens responsible for their actions.”

Hausawi emphasized that the platform aims to simplify processes, enhance transparency, and detect potential issues related to government offices or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“This platform is just a solution, a complement to all what we have, all what we need,” Dr. Hausawi explained.

“As far as you are Nigerians, we try to help, we try to make it simple, transparent, and we will be able to detect any issue related to our principal offices, the federal government, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” He said.
End

News

Mali: jihadists overrun Farabougou, Tidel as army reels from internal purges

Published

2 hours ago

August 19, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Mali: jihadists overrun Farabougou, Tidel as army reels from internal purges

By: Zagazola Makama

The Malian army has suffered fresh setbacks with the fall of two military bases to jihadists of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) in Farabougou and Tidel on Aug. 19.

The development point to the mounting pressure on the Forces Armées Maliennes (FAMA), already weakened by infighting and sweeping purges ordered by the ruling junta in Bamako.

At Farabougou, FAMA units supported by traditional Donzo hunters were routed, while in Tidel, Malian troops alongside their Russian partners were overpowered.

Sources reports indicate that weapons, armoured vehicles and other military assets were seized by the insurgents, with images of captured tanks already circulating on jihadist propaganda channels.

The rapid expansion of jihadist control across Mali is matched by a visible retreat of state authority, raising concerns over the government’s ability to secure its population. Analysts note that while militants tighten their grip on rural territories, the central government remains absorbed in political intrigues and internal crackdowns.

In recent weeks, several senior officers have been arrested or dismissed, accused of disloyalty or complicity in alleged coup plots. This climate of suspicion has eroded morale within the ranks and left units vulnerable to external attacks.

Sources describe the approach as “self-inflicted damage,” as the army, already stretched thin on multiple fronts, now contends with both battlefield losses and internal mistrust.

Russia’s Africa Corps, formerly Wagner, has been presented by the junta as a guarantor of security. But the setback in Tidel exposed the limits of Russian support, with reports of Russian casualties alongside Malian troops. The images of destroyed armoured vehicles and lifeless bodies, according to analysts, shatter the myth of technological superiority often associated with Moscow’s forces.

Meanwhile, GSIM appears to be strategically targeting both the community militias allied with the state, as seen in Farabougou, and the foreign security presence, as in Tidel. By doing so, the insurgents aim to undermine the government’s claims of national cohesion and foreign-backed resilience.

The Malian army high command, which rarely communicates in detail on battlefield reverses, issued a terse statement confirming “simultaneous attacks on FAMA positions in Farabougou and Biriki-were” in the early hours of Aug. 19. It pledged to provide further details later and concluded with the slogan: “United, we will overcome.”

Security experts argue, however, that the army’s divisions and the ongoing purge of officers make such unity increasingly unlikely. They warn that while a military force can recover from defeats, it cannot survive prolonged internal disunity.

Mali now resembles a drifting vessel caught in storms, with the risk of national collapse intensifying. The war that justified two military coups, they note, appears all but lost, with the jihadists tightening their hold, the army demoralised, and the junta consumed by repression and paranoia.

Mali: jihadists overrun Farabougou, Tidel as army reels from internal purges