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ZULUM: Trending about an alleged N2 billion monthly feeding program for Boko Haram fighters in Borno

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ZuluZULUM: Trending about an alleged N2 billion monthly feeding program for Boko Haram fighters in Bornom gives N172 million cash, food to 30,436 residents

ZULUM: Trending about an alleged N2 billion monthly feeding program for Boko Haram fighters in Borno

By: James Bwala

The occasion for day of humanitarians and the actions that accompanied the day has passed. But not without the controversy surrounding the comments made by President Muhammadu Buhari during a courtesy call at the residence of the Shehu of Borno, His Eminence, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Al-Amin Elkanemi, which is currently trending on social media. For those who want to buy into such naughty claims made by troublemakers, it is perfectly acceptable to take home the facades of the fifteen billion naira purportedly already spent on Boko Haram’s surrender and the two billion monthly followers, questions about which they claimed the governor of Borno state, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, might need to respond.

Due to what I know to have actually occurred in terms of the prudential administration of the governor of Borno state in improving the capacity of the people he controlled, I am personally moved by such unimaginable assertions emerging on social media. The systems in place and his dedication to addressing insurgency-related concerns, particularly the meticulous efforts made to ensure the welfare of Boko Haram fighters (Surrendered) who had or presently overrun three camps in the state.

Also Read: Kashim Shettima: From the steps of the Senate to…

I don’t need much reminding about the address delivered by His Eminence, The Shehu of Borno. The summary of prayers focused on the resumption of government activities in the Lake Chad region, the construction of the road connecting Maiduguri with the local governments of Dikwa and Marte, oil exploration, and praise for Borno State Governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum’s humanitarian efforts as well as the support shown to the state’s residents by former Governor and APC Vice Presidential Candidate Senator Kashim Shettima.

ZULUM: Trending about an alleged N2 billion monthly feeding program for Boko Haram fighters in Borno

The governor of Borno state made the decision to publicly acknowledge the President’s support for the earlier-mentioned figure in order to show his gratitude. This illustrates the impassioned display of transparency and the college of leadership style in Zulum. No one might have known or understood the level of support the Buhari administration provided to the Borno state government if he had remained silent.

Due to the quantity of fighters who are witnessing the governor’s worry and effort in restoring Borno state to its former glory, I recently followed the governor’s concern and plan to establish another camp. I had previously written on the governor’s cooperation with the Nigerian military in the northeast over the recent influx of seasoned combatants who are now en route to peace negotiations.

My point is that, even if two billion naira were released each month to support the efforts being made in the northeast, as those fortune tellers want to cry over, one can only imagine the weight of responsibility on the Borno state governor’s shoulders in managing such a massive situation with two billion in light of the current difficulties and economic situation in the nation.

I spoke with colleagues who covered the event and received audio and video clips of the visit in order to find out the truth about what President Muhammadu Buhari said or did not say regarding the support from the federal government. In his persona, the President avoided mentioning any figures; instead, the governor was speaking about the approval by Mr. President of the government’s budget for dealing with the issues in Borno and the Boko Haram fighters who are being housed in camps.

ZULUM: Trending about an alleged N2 billion monthly feeding program for Boko Haram fighters in Borno

I also discussed the trend with Senator Kashim Shettima’s former political advisor. Alhaji Yusuf Adamu shared his thoughts following a personal encounter he had as the chairman of the local government of Biu. He claims that because of what he reads in the newspapers, a closer relative once approached him about subvention concerns.

Also Read: Nigeria’s VP 2023: Kashim Shettima has come to stay

He emphasized that people frequently failed to reconcile realities from theory, whether out of malice or ignorance of the specifics of government operations. He claimed that by the time he requested his relative to deduct the wages of local government employees from the amount he saw on paper, his so-called kinsman was left snoring out his earlier assertions based on the images he brought.

ZULUM: Trending about an alleged N2 billion monthly feeding program for Boko Haram fighters in Borno

Adamu continued by saying that since it is election season, the opposition may not be aware that the governor of Borno state, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, attempts to restore the glory of the state that has been lost over the years due to terrible situations. He asserted that their arguments might be supported by the fact that the governor has accomplished a great deal, and that the only way to surpass those accomplishments is to cause trouble.

Although I agree with his beliefs, I can’t say if that’s how they think and feel when they make such outrageous assertions, I want to assume that this time they haven’t brought anything up for discussion. Instead, they have held their tongues while attempting to sell a bad egg on a well-known street. The reason for their claims is ineffective since they were unable to substantiate the allegations, and the presidency has backed up this claim by pointing out that Mr. President did not cite any numbers to support his statements regarding the support given to Borno state thus far.

ZULUM: Trending about an alleged N2 billion monthly feeding program for Boko Haram fighters in Borno

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Simon Bako Lalong: Where Are The 400 Deutz Fahr Tractors? (1)

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Simon Bako Lalong: Where Are The 400 Deutz Fahr Tractors? (1)

By: Balami Lazarus

As young schoolboys in Zaria, we were privileged to spend our time interacting with our peers within and around the academic environment of Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U.) main campus at Samaru. This period gave my peers and me a wide range of exposure to various facilities, faculties, departments, schools, colleges, and units of the university. Being boys full of life, adventures, and events, we were not bored with their academic programs but more interested in their social and practical activities.

Institute of Agricultural Research (I.A.R.), Division of Agricultural Colleges (D.A.C.), and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and other related units are where we were more attracted to because of their implements/tools and equipment. The tractors and their components, like harrows, ploughshares, and harvesters, have awakened the aspirations of some of us to be agricultural experts, farmers, and university dons in agricultural sciences, and others as researchers.

Agricultural tractors have been one of the most important machines in the cultivation of commercial and mechanized farmland, providing food/cash crops and agro-allied raw materials for industries and factories, hence the economic development of Nigeria.

Therefore, tractors like Massey Ferguson, John Deere, Ford, Fiat, and Styre were common sights for us.

When I decided to do some investigations on the whereabouts, or to say disappearances, of the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors belonging to the state government and the people of Plateau State. It was really not easy for me because individuals who were in the stream of affairs, past and present, are not willing to speak on this matter. And I began to suspect there was connivance/conspiracy in the disappearances of these tractors by some collective individuals.

Questions are being asked over and over by the citizens of Plateau State about the 400 Duetz Fahr model tractors made in Germany, which were procured by the state government during the administration of former Governor Simon Bako Lalong (2015-2023), whose tenure was nothing to write home about except for his poor performance in governance. Unlike the beginning of the good governance of the present administration of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.

In the course of my investigations and findings, I was told that the one and only person who had asked questions severally and was still speaking on the matter was one Ehis Akugnonu of JFM 101.9 FM. Jos (aka Osama), whom I met on this matter, our discussions lacked adjectives to qualify the disappearance of the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors on the Plateau, a state blessed with fertile land for farming and production of food and cash crops in all seasons.

Agricultural programs have always been the priority of the government, both state and federal. Institutions of learning—universities, institutes, and other research centers—are not left out of the scheme of agricultural activities. Individual and organized private sectors are also playing significant roles in the development of the nation’s agricultural economy, adding value to the agricultural food chain.

Former Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State procured the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors to boost agriculture to enable farmers to cultivate more farmland through the utilization of these tractors. Surprisingly, they were never distributed to farmers in the 17 local government areas. Sources within Government House Little Rayfield Jos told this writer that “there was a clandestine arrangement that played out in the disappearance of the 400 Duetz Fahr’. In simple arithmetic, if and only if these tractors were distributed to the 17 local government areas, each would have gotten 23, leaving 9 tractors for other purposes, but the disappearance has dampened the spirit of the state farmers. “No single individual is happy about this matter.”. We will continue to ask questions until these tractors are brought back to us’. Said a concerned citizen.

Recently, the Executive Governor of the State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, in his good governance programs, procured 200 new tractors of the Massey Ferguson model that were immediately, without delay, distributed to organized farmers’ groups across the 17 local government areas. This gave hope, wiping away tears on the faces of small and medium-scale farmers on the Plateau.

In tidying up this write-up, I was informed that the disappearance of the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors paved

way that saw the carting away in a thievery manner and the gleaning of government house items at Little Rayfield Jos. While fingers are pointing to Senator Simon Bako Lalong on the whereabouts of the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors worth hundreds of millions of naira, which could have changed the agricultural landscape of Plateau State.

Balami, a Publisher/Columnist

08036779290

Simon Bako Lalong: Where Are The 400 Deutz Fahr Tractors? (1)

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Simon Bako Lalong: Where Are The 400 Deutz Fahr Tractors? (1)

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Simon Bako Lalong: Where Are The 400 Deutz Fahr Tractors? (1)

By: Balami Lazarus

As young schoolboys in Zaria, we were privileged to spend our time interacting with our peers within and around the academic environment of Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U.) main campus at Samaru. This period gave my peers and me a wide range of exposure to various facilities, faculties, departments, schools, colleges, and units of the university. Being boys full of life, adventures, and events, we were not bored with their academic programs but more interested in their social and practical activities.

As young schoolboys in Zaria, we were privileged to spend our time interacting with our peers within and around the academic environment of Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U.) main campus at Samaru. This period gave my peers and me a wide range of exposure to various facilities, faculties, departments, schools, colleges, and units of the university. Being boys full of life, adventures, and events, we were not bored with their academic programs but more interested in their social and practical activities.

Institute of Agricultural Research (I.A.R.), Division of Agricultural Colleges (D.A.C.), and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and other related units are where we were more attracted to because of their implements/tools and equipment. The tractors and their components, like harrows, ploughshares, and harvesters, have awakened the aspirations of some of us to be agricultural experts, farmers, and university dons in agricultural sciences, and others as researchers.

Agricultural tractors have been one of the most important machines in the cultivation of commercial and mechanized farmland, providing food/cash crops and agro-allied raw materials for industries and factories, hence the economic development of Nigeria.

Therefore, tractors like Massey Ferguson, John Deere, Ford, Fiat, and Styre were common sights for us.

When I decided to do some investigations on the whereabouts, or to say disappearances, of the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors belonging to the state government and the people of Plateau State. It was really not easy for me because individuals who were in the stream of affairs, past and present, are not willing to speak on this matter. And I began to suspect there was connivance/conspiracy in the disappearances of these tractors by some collective individuals.

Questions are being asked over and over by the citizens of Plateau State about the 400 Duetz Fahr model tractors made in Germany, which were procured by the state government during the administration of former Governor Simon Bako Lalong (2015-2023), whose tenure was nothing to write home about except for his poor performance in governance. Unlike the beginning of the good governance of the present administration of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang.

In the course of my investigations and findings, I was told that the one and only person who had asked questions severally and was still speaking on the matter was one Ehis Akugnonu of JFM 101.9 FM. Jos (aka Osama), whom I met on this matter, our discussions lacked adjectives to qualify the disappearance of the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors on the Plateau, a state blessed with fertile land for farming and productionof food and cash crops in all seasons.

Agricultural programs have always been the priority of the government, both state and federal. Institutions of learning—universities, institutes, and other research centers—are not left out of the scheme of agricultural activities. Individual and organized private sectors are also playing significant roles in the development of the nation’s agricultural economy, adding value to the agricultural food chain.

Former Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State procured the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors to boost agriculture to enable farmers to cultivate more farmland through the utilization of these tractors. Surprisingly, they were never distributed to farmers in the 17 local government areas. Sources within Government House Little Rayfield Jos told this writer that “there was a clandestine arrangement that played out in the disappearance of the 400 Duetz Fahr’. In simple arithmetic, if and only if these tractors were distributed to the 17 local government areas, each would have gotten 23, leaving 9 tractors for other purposes, but the disappearance has dampened the spirit of the state farmers. “No single individual is happy about this matter.”. We will continue to ask questions until these tractors are brought back to us’. Said a concerned citizen.

Recently, the Executive Governor of the State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, in his good governance programs, procured 200 new tractors of the Massey Ferguson model that were immediately, without delay, distributed to organized farmers’ groups across the 17 local government areas. This gave hope, wiping away tears on the faces of small and medium-scale farmers on the Plateau.

In tidying up this write-up, I was informed that the disappearance of the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors paved

way that saw the carting away in a thievery manner and the gleaning of government house items at Little Rayfield Jos. While fingers are pointing to Senator Simon Bako Lalong on the whereabouts of the 400 Deutz Fahr tractors worth hundreds of millions of naira, which could have changed the agricultural landscape of Plateau State.

Balami, a Publisher/Columnist

08036779290

Simon Bako Lalong: Where Are The 400 Deutz Fahr Tractors? (1)

Continue Reading

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My Binoculars: A tribute to a former Controller of customs Borno state Joshua Angbalaga

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My Binoculars: A tribute to a former Controller of customs Borno state Joshua Angbalaga

By: Sam Kayode

Indeed Angbalaga was a reporter’s delight. Firm yet welcoming. His demise is a sudden blow to some of us who have basked in his warmth and detribalized nature. He was of a different make from the generality of uniformed personnel some of us are used to, sharp witty with a strong ability to interface from one generation to another. He was a trained sociologist from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where he graduated in 1984. Taught for sometime at the FCT which gave him the unique ability to understand his generation and all the ones after his.

His training as a customs official since 1988 had taken him to many States including the commercial capital of Nigeria Lagos and many other cities. Controller Joshua Angbalaga was easy going and kept an open door for most of us journalists who came into contact with him through exclusive interviews. He was open minded and was ready to tolerate most of our young colleagues who sometimes displayed slight intolerance for uniforms at news conferences because of the insurgents lurking around.

In Controller Joshua Angbalaga buried today in lafia nasarawa state, I have a personal loss of a man who was an exemplary news maker. He was a public figure who had immense knowledge about the weaknesses and strengths of the gentlemen of the pen. He was a good representative of his controller General. He understood the body languages of most of our intolerant younger colleagues and gave his subordinates in the office then a standing directive that any time any of us comes to see him, we must not be kept waiting unnecessarily if he is free. He was far different from previous controllers who had come and treated reporters like condemned criminals who should never be allowed to come close to the controllers office upstairs.

Some of them in sister agencies especially the ones in the immigration service gave standing orders that journalists should be turned away from the gate as if we were insurgents. This was because some of them were never financially transparent as we learnt from their boys so we understood why they were so vehement at stopping journalists from conducting their constitutional activities. A lot of Angbalaga’s paramilitary colleagues marveled at his dexterity with the gentlemen of the fourth estate.

Our paths met in April 2017 when he reported to Maiduguri as controller and Borno/Yobe area Commander of the Nigerian customs. That was three years after I reported in Maiduguri as correspondent of the nation newspaper.
From then on we continued to work together with him and his entire management team in making expected progresses within the war theatre.
We had several news conferences with him especially on how he had been able to make tremendous progress in turning things around in spite of the insurgency which was at its peak by then. Angbalaga was a rare news maker in uniform because of his belief that none of his officers were too rotten to resist reforms. They were all in sync with his policies to make the state better than he met it. When it was time to go, he left maiduguri on transfer to Abuja where he later retired in 2020. He was involved in stopping a lot of contrabands including hard drugs which is the main fuel keeping insurgents at alert.

On retirement, we kept our communication intact and friendly. Oga Angbalaga was a very studious officer who had already prepared himself for leadership roles by completing his master in public administration in 2000. Feeling a bit bored and not tired in retirement, he went back to school for his PhD program in University of Abuja. He told me recently that he was close to finishing his course work and was kicking to go to the next challenge as God directs. We bantered on the phone while I wondered if he was going back to teaching but he laughed and asked for Gods will to be done. We had a one hour call last year with an invitation to me to visit him during the last yuletide 2024. So with a promise that I would be in lafia to see him for the yuletide, we rounded the call. But due to certain conditions not under my control, that was the last time we would talk as friends. I missed the trip due to I’ll health. Controller Angbalaga is no more as the Lord wills. He has answered the solemn call of nature which sends all mortals back to their creator regardless of age, status, character, race or creed. Death has shown that it’s a leveler of all mankind and my friend oga Angbalaga as I used to call him lived a forthright life before bowing to immortality. May the Lord console his friends at Mount St Gabriel Makurdi, St John Bosco Doma, the entire family of the Nigerian customs service, immediate family and the entire eggon nation where the Lord used him to touch several souls before his passage.
Have a nice sleep oga Angbalaga. From Biodun as you used to call me.

My Binoculars: A tribute to a former Controller of customs Borno state Joshua Angbalaga

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