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Borno SSG unveils “5th Verdict”, as Media Aides Celebrate Zulum @55

Borno SSG unveils “5th Verdict”, as Media Aides Celebrate Zulum @55
By: Our Reporter
Media aides to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State have released the “5th Verdict” to showcase his achievements and commemorate his 55th birthday, which is celebrated every August 25th.
The Secretary to the Borno State Government, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, who represented Governor Zulum, unveiled the compendium.
The ceremony was held today Sunday, August 25, 2024 at the Governor’s Office, Musa Usman State Secretariat, Maiduguri.
A statement from Abdurrahman Ahmed Bundi, Zulum’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media who is also the Compendium’s Deputy Editor, highlighted that the publication includes news reports, analyses, features, columns, commentaries, discourses, editorials, selected speeches, and scorecard on the fifth year of Professor Zulum’s tenure as Governor of Borno State, from May 29, 2023 to May 29, 2024.

The compendium series was initiated by Zulum’s late spokesperson, Malam Isa Gusau, who assembled a team to work all year round for the compilation. The team collates and compiles relevant news and media discourses that shaped decisions, policies, and programmes during the tenure of his principal in office to document history and the process of governance.
The latest compendium is the fifth in the series. It is a 307-page document with 22 sections, including a Scorecard on Zulum’s performance in his fifth year as Governor, as well as President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s visits to commission innovative people-oriented projects in Borno State.
Two newspaper editorials from different media organisations also eulogise the Governor’s legacies in the education sector and compassionate interventions to mitigate the high cost of living, resulting from the fuel subsidy removal.
The sectoral compilation in the “5th Verdict” comprise 25 stories on Zulum’s humanitarian engagements, 21 news articles and discourses on security, 7 stories on resettlement and reconstruction, 13 news and features on transport, infrastructure and energy, 27 on education, and 9 on healthcare.
The compendium has other publications on Agriculture, Water Resources and Environment; Religion, Culture and Festivities; Budget, Economic Planning, and Commerce; Civil Service, Vocations, and Appointments; and activities from the Deputy Governor’s Office.

The “5th Verdict” also documents issues from the Office of the First Lady and Women Affairs; Zulum’s ‘Unusual’ Approach to Governance and Witnesses to his Service Delivery. There are equally articles on Awards, Tributes and Special Occasions; Foreign, Inter-governmental and Development Partnerships, as well as engagements and discourses emanating from the North-East Governors’ Forum.
This year’s compendium, the fifth in the series, has equally documented special tributes and news on the death of the founding Editor-in-Chief and former spokesperson to Governor Zulum, Malam Isa Gusau, who died on January 11, 2024.
Since the public presentation of the “First Verdict”, Zulum’s media aides and associates have sustained the release of subsequent series to coincide with his birthday.
The “First Verdict” , a 300-page compilation of articles published by various media outlets during Zulum’s first year in office, from 2019 to 2020 was launched in August 2020 at a state event held at the Government House in Maiduguri. The publication includes 336 articles across 17 thematic sections, as well as transcripts from Governor Zulum’s First Anniversary media chat with journalists from prominent local, national, and international media organisations.
Borno SSG unveils “5th Verdict”, as Media Aides Celebrate Zulum @55
News
RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State

RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State
…Making it the 20th State to Benefit from the Support
By: Our Reporter
The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Program, launched in Abuja in March 2024 to provide monthly support to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, has reached Yobe State—making it the 20th state to benefit from the initiative.
Since its inception, the program has covered Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, and Sokoto States before arriving in Yobe.
With generous support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another industrialist who prefers to remain anonymous, assorted food items were delivered, bringing relief to many households, particularly those with disabilities.
The First Lady and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, noted that donors provide two truckloads of food items to each beneficiary state for onward distribution. Represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, she highlighted Yobe as a major beneficiary of RHI programs and interventions.
These include:

- The Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economists Empowerment Program, which supported 500 women with ₦50,000 each.
- The RHI Women Agricultural Support Scheme, where 20 women received ₦500,000 each.
- A ₦68.9 million grant from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to the Young Farmers Club.
- Annual financial support to senior citizens, with 100 beneficiaries receiving ₦100,000 each in 2023 and 250 beneficiaries receiving ₦200,000 each.
- A ₦50 million financial grant to 1,000 petty traders.
- The Women in ICT Program, aimed at empowering women in the digital economy.
According to Senator Tinubu, these interventions are designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni represented by his Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the initiative, noting that the state has aligned with RHI through various empowerment programs for women, children, and vulnerable groups. These include the distribution of household items, skill acquisition schemes, and post-insurgency recovery programs that have economically empowered many women.
The State Coordinator of RHI and Wife of the Yobe State Governor, Hajiya Hafsat Kollere Buni, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for extending such impactful support to Yobe State. She also looked forward to stronger collaborations to further project the ideals of RHI and improve the lives of the people.
Also present at the event was Dr. Ubong Udoh, Managing Director of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, one of the key donors to the program.- RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State


News
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
By: Zagazola Makama
Former National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.), has warned that Nigeria’s fight against insurgency will remain elusive without national cohesion and a united front across society.
Monguno stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said Boko Haram and other violent groups had thrived by exploiting Nigeria’s divisions, stressing that disunity among citizens, political actors, and institutions weakened the country’s capacity to defeat terrorism.
“Without national cohesion, insurgency will not end. Terrorists feed on our fault lines – ethnic, religious, political – and they weaponise them against us. If we remain divided, no amount of military might will deliver lasting peace,” Monguno said.
He urged Nigerians to rise above parochial sentiments and embrace a spirit of patriotism, solidarity, and common purpose. According to him, the fight against insurgency must go beyond the battlefield to include reconciliation, justice, and inclusive governance.
The retired General emphasised that the scars left by Boko Haram were not just physical but also psychological and social, making unity a vital condition for national healing.
“The book reminds us that security is not just the work of soldiers. It is the responsibility of leaders, institutions, and citizens. Unless we build cohesion, insurgency will continue to mutate in different forms,” he added.
Monguno commended Gen. Irabor for documenting his experience, describing the work as a guide that combines history, strategy, and national lessons for the future.
The event was attended by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Defence, service chiefs, traditional rulers, diplomats, and senior government officials.
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
News
Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach

Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach
By: Zagazola Makama
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said Nigeria cannot defeat insurgency through military operations alone, stressing the need to embrace soft power and address root causes of insecurity.
Kukah made this known in Abuja on Thursday while reviewing Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said the country’s reliance on military doctrines and repeated counter-insurgency operations had failed to produce lasting peace because Boko Haram represented an ideology, not just an armed threat.
“For years, we have had Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Restore Order, Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Safe Haven, and many others. Yet, when one operation fails, another is launched. These operations have not ended the insurgency because you cannot fight an idea with weapons alone,” Kukah said.
The cleric argued that describing the insurgency only in military terms forecloses other sources of information and non-kinetic solutions that are critical to peacebuilding.
According to him, Boko Haram’s struggle is framed as a jihad, and many of its fighters see death as martyrdom, making them indifferent to conventional deterrence.
“The challenge before us is not merely about defeating insurgents on the battlefield, but about understanding the soft issues of life and death. Guns cannot build peace; soft power must complement military power,” he said.
Kukah pointed to chapters 11, 12 and 13 of Irabor’s book, which emphasise reconciliation, good governance, justice, and national healing as critical conditions for security.
He praised the author’s reflections for going beyond military strategy, describing them as “the writings of a priest” that call for dialogue, reforms and moral renewal.
The bishop added that Nigeria must prioritise structural reforms, political inclusion, patriotism, and judicial integrity to tackle grievances that feed extremism.
“The urgency now is to invest in soft power – in human development, reconciliation, and building trust in institutions. Military operations can only create space; it is ideas and justice that will sustain peace,” Kukah said.
The event attracted former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, senior government officials, service chiefs, diplomats, and other dignitaries.
End
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