Feature

Features: Two years after the ajaokuta ban in Borno, insurgents and residents now scavenge for plastics and firewood

Published

4 months ago

February 20, 2025

Features: Two years after the ajaokuta ban in Borno, insurgents and residents now scavenge for plastics and firewood

By: Bodunrin Kayode

“Ajaokuta” is the name of a council area in kogi state. But that is for those not living in north Eastern Nigeria. In North Eastern Nigeria, “Ajaokuta” is used to mean scrap metals both in kanuri and hausa. As a result any metallic material not useful like empty “can of soft drinks” or beer which can be turned into money by making aluminum pots or containers. Anything not usable again and condemned to the metal bin made from iron or aluminium is big money to both the boko haram insurgents and the residents who search for them as relics of war.

The scavenging for these scrapes however soon woke up the recycling industry which had been restricted to mostly can drinks before the advent of the war. So many vehicles, military and civilians which were abandoned in the bush where it got broken down and became impossible to tow out before the insurgents took over 21 council areas became ready scrap metals inside the savannah. Because nobody in his right senses will spend more than ten minutes inside insurgents territory without being killed during the peak of the crisis.

This was how ajaokuta became a reality in north east Nigeria and such scraps became money in the hands of these scavengers on both sides of the divide who knew its value. These desperate scavengers of scrap materials turned even discarded car parts in organized garages to big money. And it is for that instant cash that some internally displaced people (IDPs) decided to be making fast money from it 6. This is because most of them are confined to the Head Quarters of their council areas unable to farm and fish or make a living for themselves where necessary.

With the shut down of organized idp camps in the city of Maiduguri these residents these days are becoming restless since they can’t earn their living through farming which is their primary past times. They hardly sit down where they are confined in the hinterlands sub camps pending the end of the war. This is because most of them disregard the war situation that has been declared in the north east and insist on wanting to live normal lives while still surrounded by insurgents. Some entered the maiduguri idp camps years ago without a family and now they are back to their council area sub camps with many wives and children. And they don’t see why the Governor, Babagana Zulum was complaining recently about that.

Borno State has witnessed several skirmishes between the idps and the boko haram insurgents who equally look out for similar items for its commercial value to sell and feed their numerous harem of women and children with them in the bush. However, with the early clamp down on non governmental organizations (NGO’s) who were sympathetic to the cause of the insurgents in the name of balancing acts, it became harder for the terrorists to maintain their harems and their kids. They had to desperately look for alternative plans to survive especially with the factionalization of the jihadists. Indeed former theatre Commander, General Adeniyi once shut down about three NGO’s fingered in such sympathetic practices but they were later allowed to resume operations by some powers that were from Abuja. But what ever was trickling to the insurgents was completely cut off according to sources including the controversial mama Boko Haram who had unfettered access to their commanders through her foundation. So having been left high and dry in the bush, they too started sending their wards out to scavenge not only for ajaokuta but for abandoned plastic containers and firewood. This was meant to assist their bush economy which Adeniyi did not want to thrive even as they farmed and fished in the lake Chad axis unhindered.
Consequently, it was the scavenging for these items that used to bring lingering fracas between the IDPs and the insurgents.

The most bloody skirmish in recent times

Not too recently in Rann, the headquarters of Kala Balge the idps were said to have strayed several kilometers beyond where they were supposed to stay in search of these scraps which would amount to immediate cash once they meet the right dealers. Over 40 residents on a scrap metal scavenging spree were slaughtered by insurgents believed to be of the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) stock. The killings which took place when ISWAP insurgents carrying rifles and knives rounded up a group of idps that were searching for scrap metals to sell for a living. About 47 of the scavenging camp residents who were looking for the “Ajaokuta ” were rounded up and slaughtered for daring into the known territories of the insurgents. That singular act of butchery sources told this reporter became very painful to the Governor Babagana Zulum who vowed to ban the activities of the residents and idps over ajaokuta. But are they really banned considering the fact that there are no specific check points monitoring it’s movements?

Transition to plastics and fire wood

After the banning, the idps usually confined within 5km of their council headquarters now settled for the used battered plastics trade which had existed long before the boko haram challenge started. The ajaokuta business goes on secretly in trickles because they hide them inside used plastic containers and bottles which the security points hardly bother about. Driving through the city of Maiduguri, heaps of plastics can now be seen around certain areas in outskirts like Gubio road, Baga road and several suburbs where cart pushers ask for so called condemned items to go sell. And these are weighed on scales and instant cash is awarded for those who are bold enough to penetrate Garbage bins and dump sites to get the plastics which are gathered like Ajaokuta.

Fire wood is equally not left out of the foraging business. As a matter of fact, firewood has become the second largest revenue earner for resident IDPs in the state capital. The camps may have closed officially but a lot of resident IDPs who live with relatives in the metropolis go hunt for firewood in the thick savannah and sell to residents most of whom have abandoned charcoal which moved from N3,000 to N10,000 a bag. This has forced many civil servants in the upper lower class to move down to fire wood as the new savior. So with firewood dumps in almost every crevice of the state now, it has become a safe alternative to these ajaokuta scraps some of which have become death traps because residents usually walk into improvised Explosive Devices (IEDS) planted by insurgents in the name of hunting for them. Many innocent souls have perished in that process.

However. If residents in key towns in the state must fulfill their destinies to generate enough revenue to feed themselves, since free feeding may be terminated this year, then fire wood scavenging has come to stay as a veritable index in fulfillment of their individual desires. Firewood and plastics have become a heavy source of bush market revenue which even the government can utilize in beefing up it’s internal revenue. The mantra of plant trees where others are felled can only apply where there is safety. Nobody can tell residents of tashan Kano and surrounding suburbs down to Bulumkutu who go into the nearby Molai bush to source for fire wood to plant one tree there. His or her business is to grab the wood and return back quickly before the armed men in the other side come out to look for theirs. That is the new slogan of the down trodden in Borno state.

Features: Two years after the ajaokuta ban in Borno, insurgents and residents now scavenge for plastics and firewood

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The Changing Trajectory Of Governor Zulum’s Development Initiatives In Southern Borno

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Feature

Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency

Published

2 weeks ago

May 26, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency
By Raphael Oni

The retirement age in Nigeria has sparked intense debate, with various government agencies and institutions operating under different retirement ages. This inconsistency raises concerns about fairness, equity, and the need for a unified approach. Recently, the organized labour sector, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has emphasized the need for a consistent policy across all government agencies and institutions.

The Current State of Retirement Age in Nigeria

Different government agencies and institutions in Nigeria have varying retirement ages, including:

National Assembly Service Commission: 65 years
Judicial arm of government: 65 years for judges
Foreign Service: 60 years for officers
Nigeria Police Force: 60 years for personnel
National Pension Commission (PenCom): 50 years, extendable to 60 years with approval

This disparity raises questions about fairness and equity. Why should employees in different agencies have different retirement ages? A uniform policy would ensure equal treatment and dignity for all employees.

Benefits of Harmonization

Harmonizing retirement age in Nigeria would bring several benefits, including:

Consistency and fairness: A uniform retirement age would ensure equal treatment for all employees.
Simplified administration: A single retirement age would simplify administrative processes and reduce confusion.
Improved planning: A consistent retirement age would enable employees to plan their careers and retirement more effectively.
Enhanced morale: A fair and equitable retirement policy would boost employee morale and productivity.

International Best Practices

Many countries have a uniform retirement age for public servants, such as:

United States: 65 years (with option to retire earlier with reduced benefits)
United Kingdom: 65-68 years (depending on the scheme)
Canada: 65 years (with option to retire earlier with reduced benefits)
Australia: 65 years (with plans to increase to 70 years)
Morocco: 60 years (with discussions to raise to 65)
South Africa: 65 years (new reform)

Proposed Harmonized Retirement Age for Nigeria

Based on international best practices and Nigeria’s economic and demographic context, a harmonized retirement age of 60-65 years could be considered. This would allow employees to retire with dignity and adequate pension benefits while ensuring sustainable pension obligations.

Agency-by-Agency Analysis

Foreign Affairs: Harmonizing retirement age would ensure equal treatment for Foreign Service officers.
National Assembly Service Commission: Harmonization would ensure consistency across all government institutions.
Judicial: Given the importance of judicial experience, the retirement age may be justified, but harmonization would ensure equal treatment.

Challenges and Considerations

Implementing a harmonized retirement age policy would require careful consideration of:

Pension sustainability: Ensuring sustainable and adequately funded pension obligations.
Employee morale: Balancing the needs of employees affected by changes to their retirement age.
Economic context: Considering the economic implications of a harmonized retirement age policy.

Conclusion

Harmonizing retirement age in Nigeria is a necessary step towards ensuring fairness, equity, and consistency across all government agencies and institutions. A uniform retirement age policy would promote simplicity, improve planning, and enhance employee morale. The government should consider adopting a consistent policy that applies to all, taking into account international best practices and Nigeria’s economic and demographic context.
Raphael Oni a seasoned journalist, Editor-in-chief of Diplomatic Extra, a Specialized Magazine

Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency

Feature

WHITHER BORNO SOUTH STAKEHOLDERS: A REJOINDER

Published

4 weeks ago

May 10, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

WHITHER BORNO SOUTH STAKEHOLDERS: A REJOINDER

BY: Yamta Bulama Bata Mshelia.

Amidst the very wide acclaim, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has been getting for his leadership style; a news item captioned ” Borno South Residents Urge Action Against Discriminatory Politics “, authored by one Ishaya Malgwi, writting on behalf of a self styled group; BORNO SOUTH STAKEHOLDERS, caught my attention in the social media.

In the said piece Ishaya Malgwi, the convener of Borno South Stakeholders: an amorphous socio-political group comprising mainly Southern Borno elites in diaspora, tried painting the people of Southern Borno as ungrateful for the present government in Borno state under Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.

I had earlier read another write-up by Alhaji Yusuf Adamu, expressing appreciation to the governor for the numerous projects executed in Southern Borno: Biu in particular.
With Alhaji Yusuf Adanu’s piece, one would have been happy that contrary to Ishaya Malgwi’s postulations, the governor has done something worthwhile in the southern part and one can afford to ignore the Borno South Stakeholders under Ishaya Malgwi, but for the fact that as a stakeholder by all ramifications, and I am from Southern Borno residing in Biu, I could not resist the urge to correct the the erroneous impression being created by the so-called Borno South Stakeholders.

As a witness to some of the projects executed across Southern Borno which run contrary to the claims by the self styled group called Southern Borno Stakeholders, I have always had my suspicion about this group, which registered as agents of unity and development, but which has metamorphosis into an opposition: that does not see anything good in the government of Borno state.

I have interacted with so many people who were unsuspecting lured to join the group, most of whom opted out after realizing that it was more of a selfish self serving assemblage much more than a collection of development strategists.

I have also keenly followed their programmes and shall expose their real motives in the fullness of time.

I hasten to state that no governor, in the recent history of Borno state, has done what governor Zulum has done or is doing in Southern Borno in terms of development.
I stand to be corrected, but I am also aware that Southern Borno has its fair share of representation in the government, and I know that so many projects have been completed and are ongoing in Southern Borno.

I have made contact with like minds, and we are compiling the list of projects executed in each local government area in Southern Borno.
I am sure that, except perhaps those working in Ishaya Malgwi’s conclave, most Southern Borno stakeholders may not agree that we are mere onlookers on the political scene either.
It is needless to clarify that in Zulums government, the chairman of the ruling party is from Southern Borno: and one will wonder what political relevance Malgwi is talking about.

To my limited knowledge, I know that the Deputy Governor is from Southern Borno, the Deputy Speaker of the state Assemnly is from Southern Borno, the Deputy Chief of Staff is from Southern Borno, there is a Commissioner from each Local Government, except Gwoza and Chibok which had problems, there is a sizeable number of Advisers, SSAs, SAs and Technical Advisers from each Local Government and untill recently the Head of Service is from Southern Borno and many others.

I know, as a matter of fact, that many Southern Borno State indigenes have gained appointments through the instrumentality of the Borno State Governor.
We may concede it to Borno South Stakeholders as a right to express their opinions and orchestrate their sentiments because we are approaching another political phase, and the polity is already heating up.
But it is completely inaccurate to state that Professor Babagana Umara Zulum is running a government of exclusion to the detriment of Southern Borno.

We should learn to appreciate that which is good even when it does not favour us, just as we are previledged to also criticize.

Mshelia is an indigenes of Hawul Local Government.

WHITHER BORNO SOUTH STAKEHOLDERS: A REJOINDER

Feature

The Changing Trajectory Of Governor Zulum’s Development Initiatives In Southern Borno

Published

3 months ago

March 13, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

The Changing Trajectory Of Governor Zulum’s Development Initiatives In Southern Borno

By: A. G. Abubakar

The last outing by HE Professor Babagana Umara Zulum to Biu in Southern Borno, where multiple capital projects were either commissioned or initiated, signified a strategic shift towards inclusion and fair play. It was a masterstroke that had the potential to engender unity and balanced development in the region. This is aside improving the deteriorating political and ethno-religious relations and the concomitant mass discontent in the affected zone(s). Kudos to His Excellency!

The citizens’ hunger for development should be seen as a legitimate aspiration. And, meeting such expectations (reasonably) should naturally be the guiding principles of governance that successive administrations in the state seemed to have jettisoned. A development that has since created a feeling of distrust between the government and the governed in the zone. The people believe, and rightly too, that they have no other polity to call their own apart from Borno State and, as such, deserve to be treated fairly in its affairs.

Professor Zulum may be a “new convert” to this noble philosophy but he seems to have his hands on the right handles going by the strategic nature of the dividends of democracy (infrastructure) his government is extending across parts of the Borno South. And, the Professor-Governor seems to be doing this, not only with the needed expediency but in style too.

The governor inaugurated (commissioned) “a state-of-the-art eye and dental hospital as well as a mega secondary school in Miringa-Biu, Biu LGA” of the state. The eye hospital is a 40-bed ophthalmological care centre. “Similarly, the dental hospital will provide comprehensive oral health services including preventive care, orthodontics, and restorative treatments.” The Mega school in Miringa has the capacity to accommodate 1,300 students students. The school consists of 60 classrooms, 4 laboratories, and an ICT centre.

Apart from the executed projects in Biu, His Excellency ordered the construction of 5 new hospitals in the state, with two coming to Askira and Uba towns in Southern Borno. The others are Gubio, Mafa, and Dikwa. To boost MSMEs in the zone, the governor launched a billion naira (N1 billion) support fund for the initiative. Governor Zulum equally laid the foundation for the construction of 600 housing units across Biu, Hawul (Borno South),Gubio, and Magumeri, with a view to addressing the housing deficits in these communities.

Not long ago, the governor was at the forefront at saving the Nigeria Army University (NAUB), Biu. His administration equally facilitated the take-off of the Federation College of Education, Gwoza, as well as that of the Federal Orthopaedic Centre in Azare, Hawul LGA.

It is common knowledge that governance is about the management of aggregate interests. Interests that may, at times, be even conflicting. It is also about inclusion and equity.

For long, the powers that be in Borno have been perceived as lacking in terms of the sense of proportion, especially in the distribution of capital infrastructure across the state’s constituent parts. For nearly two decades, capital projects have been domiciled in Maiduguri, the seat of government.

Mega schools, tertiary institutions, hospitals, urban renewable schemes (overhead bridges, mass transit systems, etc), support to MSMEs, have all been concentrated in Maiduguri.Thus, turning the polity into a one city-state that left the northern and southern Borno enclaves out. The former is due to the Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency campaigns in the region, while the latter may not be unconnected with Nigeria’s zero-sum geopolitics underpinned by the tyranny of number.

The state of things, however, seems to be changing for the good of all. Governance is becoming more responsive by exhibiting some modicum of fairness in state craftsmanship.The people need to reciprocate the positive gesture. Trust is crucial in governance, though it has to be earned. The recent action by the government also needs to be sustained in order to maintain public trust.

Like Oliver Twist, the central character in Charles Dickens’ seminal work (1838) of the same title, the people are yearning for more. They wish to remind the Borno State government that the Biu Dam is still uncompleted after almost 40 years! The Damboa to Biu highway, as well as the Damaturu-Biu- Garkida road, need the government’s intervention, too. The poor state of the roads have rendered large chunks of the state a safe haven for Boko Haram/ISWAP. Mobility is a critical factor in prosecuting wars and in securing public support as well.

Apart from the major highways, the Borno State government initiated a rural road development programme to boost economic activities, especially agriculture and commerce. Gunda communities in Biu LGAs and some others in Chibok, Askira/Uba, etc, were identified, and work commenced. Two years down the line, nothing has been done, leaving the affected communities frustrated as they see their hopes gradually getting dashed. For some inexplicable reasons, the Miringa-Garubula-Gunda, feeder road with a possible extension to the border towns of Galabinda and Tattaba, basically remains abandoned.

The State College of Agriculture, Damboa, is still being housed in Maiduguri, the state capital. Attempts should be made to move it to its permanent site after almost three decades. Not forgetting the need to facilitate the return of thousands of Borno citizens pushed into refugee camps in neighbouring Cameroon and Niger.The government’s credibility is at stake with regard to these issues.

The people of Borno South salute the governor, His Excellency, Professor Zulum, for the commendable paradigm shift. May it be a sustainable one.

A.G.Abubakar agbarewa@gmail.com

The Changing Trajectory Of Governor Zulum’s Development Initiatives In Southern Borno