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Zulum urges citizens to shun protest, says govt working to ease hardships

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Zulum urges citizens to shun protest, says govt working to ease hardships

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has urged citizens of the state to shun ideas of protest resulting from the hardships faced in the country.

The governor said that the hike in the prices of food and other commodities was temporary and assured that the government at all levels was working to ease the hardships.

Zulum spoke on Wednesday during a multi-stakeholder meeting he convened at the multi-purpose hall of the Government House in Maiduguri, the state capital.

“While the right to protest is fundamental in a democracy, we must acknowledge the high likelihood of such actions being manipulated by anarchists and enemies of peace. These elements thrive on chaos and discord, seeking to derail our collective efforts and exploit our vulnerabilities.

“Such manipulation could lead to violence, property destruction, and a setback in the progress we have painstakingly achieved. It is within this context that I urge you all to reflect deeply on the path we choose to take,” he said.

The governor added, “While this hardship exists today, we are also aware that the negative impacts are temporary. It is our hope that we will ride the wave of this hardship to arrive at the shores of prosperity. We will do whatever it takes, and we are doing whatever it takes and more, to protect the dignity, pride and independence of our people. The leadership is not asleep. The leadership has not given up the fight for a better Borno State, despite our underlying problems. The leadership at the federal level has not given up on Nigeria.

“Our current socio-economic circumstances do not result from a lack of empathy for others’ plights or inaction to address pressing issues. The government (at the state and federal levels) is taking necessary measures to tackle challenges such as food insecurity, unemployment, and healthcare.”

Zulum, however, noted that it requires time, patience and the collective effort of all stakeholders for the measures being taken to bear fruits.
“It is vital that we do not aggravate the situation or jeopardise the returning peace in our state. Any attempt to join the protest could have adverse consequences for the lives and property of our people.

“Therefore, I am appealing to all stakeholders to ponder the consequences the intended protest might cause our beloved State and consider how we collectively can address the challenges facing us,” the governor stated.

According to him, the good people of Borno State cannot allow a return to the dark days of tears, fears and losses of lives and livelihoods.

“To bring back Borno State, as your elected leader, I have done and continue to do the very best for the people of Borno State. There is not enough time to list what we have done,” he said.

He further stated, “To the youth of Borno State, you are the backbone of our society, the shapers of both today and tomorrow. Your energy, creativity, and passion are invaluable assets to our community. However, let your conscience guide you in these trying times.”

The governor urged the youth of the state to always choose dialogue as the means to negotiate their demands.

“Peaceful and constructive engagement is the cornerstone of sustainable development. Remember, the future we desire is built on the foundations we lay today. Let those foundations be solidly rooted in peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.

“For our nation at large, I kindly ask for your understanding and appeal against any mass protests that can derail our attention from finding solutions to our social challenges,” he said

Zulum said the Federal Government had taken a number of bold steps to address the challenges of food inflation and availability of medicines for the nation.

“All taxes, tariffs, levies and charges on food importation have been suspended. The government has suspended the taxes on drugs and medicines as well to bring down the prices.”

“I urge you all to reflect on our collective journey, the sacrifices made, and the progress achieved.

“Let us not allow a moment of frustration to undo years of hard work. Instead, let us recommit to the principles of peace, dialogue, and mutual respect. Together, we can and will build a future that we and future generations can be proud of,” the governor said.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Governor, Umar Usman Kadafur; the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan; the Secretary to the state government, Bukar Tijani; the theatre commander, Operation Hadin Kai; Major General Waidi Shuaibu; the Borno Commissioner of Police, Yusuf Mohammed Lawal; the State Director of DSS; and other security heads.

The traditional institution, headed by the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi, religious leaders, the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Trade Union, and other organisations, also attended the meeting.

Zulum urges citizens to shun protest, says govt working to ease hardships

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VP Shettima Mourns Borno Terror Attack Victims, Says No Religion Endorses Killing Of Innocent Lives

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VP Shettima Mourns Borno Terror Attack Victims, Says No Religion Endorses Killing Of Innocent Lives

By: Our Reporter

Ahead of his trip to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Vice President Kashim Shettima , has expressed grief over the death of 25 persons killed in the multiple explosions in different locations across Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Monday.

He pointed out that no religion sanctions the killing of innocent lives, as the sanctity of human life remains a core tenet of major world faiths.

VP Shettima, who spoke on Tuesday during the closing of the Annual Ramadan Tafsir at the State House Mosque, Abuja, prayed Almighty Allah to grant the souls of those killed in the terror attack in Maiduguri eternal rest, reward them with Aljannah firdaus and give their family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Praying Almighty Allah to also vanish all agents of terror from the surface of the earth, the VP said, “May the lives of innocent souls – 25 of them – that lost their lives in Maiduguri last evening rest in peace. May Allah grant their souls eternal rest and reward them with His Aljannah firdaus, and may Allah also grant their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses.

“May Allah bring this madness to an end. No religion sanctions the killing of the innocent. Whatever that is motivating them, may Allah either guide them on to the right path or May Allah vanish them from the surface of the earth.”

The Vice President emphasised the need for all Nigerians to continue to pray for the country across every sector, as well as pray that the Almighty should continue to grant President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of his team wisdom, courage, sincerity and equity in service.

He noted that each season of Ramadan reminds Muslims of a truth that power often tries to hide from man, and that no sit is permanent, just as no office is ultimate and no human being stands above his dependence on his creator.

VP Shettima said, “In the presence of Allah, the distance between the mighty and the unknown vanishes. What remains is character, what remains is accountability, what remains is what we did with the trust placed in our hands.

“This is why gatherings such as this matters. They rescue public lives from arrogance; they retain soul to scale; they teach those entrusted with authority that the nation is not built by policy alone but by conscience; not by proclamation alone but by restraint; not by ambition alone but by fear of Allah.”

The VP called on the Muslim faithful to continue to live in the teachings and lessons of the month of Ramadan, as the final days of Ramadan begins to sleep through their fingers.

“The question before us is not whether Ramadan is ending. The question is whether its teachings will continue to live in us after the moon has changed.

“It is quite easy to cut the head when the atmosphere is charged with devotion. The harder task is to carry it into ordinary days, into the market, into the office, into the home, into the chamber of power, and into the private corners where only Allah sees what we are doing, ” he noted.

While drawing from the lessons of Ramadan, the Vice President said the holy month had thought the Muslim faithful that pity without mercy is noise and worship without service is incomplete.

“So, as we close this year’s Tafsir, let us not return to the habits that weaken our common lives; let us not go back to bitterness, to reckless speech, to indifference dressed as sophistication. A believer doesn’t spend the whole month learning only to become a captive again of anger, greed and division.

“Nigeria needs homes where children encounter good examples before good advice. Nigeria, indeed, needs leaders in every spare who understand that influence is a trust, not a license, ” VP Shettima said.

He paid growing tribute to the Chief Imam of the State House Mosque, Sheikh Abdulwaheed Suleiman Abubakar, and his lieutenant for conducting the Tafsir with wisdom, calm hearts.

Earlier, the Chief Imam prayed for sustainable peace and development of Nigerian and the success of the Tinubu administration’s policies and programmes.

The cleric emphasised the need for leaders at all levels to continue to discharge their responsibilities with the fear of Allah for the process and development of the country.

VP Shettima Mourns Borno Terror Attack Victims, Says No Religion Endorses Killing Of Innocent Lives

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IGP Visits Maiduguri Bombing Sites, Assesses Security Measures

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IGP Visits Maiduguri Bombing Sites, Assesses Security Measures

By: Zagazola Makama

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has visited victims of the recent IED explosions in Maiduguri and assessed the security situation at key attack sites, underscoring the force’s commitment to public safety.

The IGP visited the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), where casualties of the bomb blasts are receiving medical attention. He commiserated with victims and their families, assuring them of the Nigeria Police Force’s resolve to identify and dismantle networks responsible for the attacks.

Following the hospital visit, he proceeded to the Maiduguri Monday Market, one of the sites targeted by the terrorists, for an on-the-spot security assessment. The visit included interactions with local security personnel to review operational preparedness and strengthen coordinated response measures.

The IGP also visited the Borno State Government House and the State Police Command Headquarters as part of ongoing engagements to enhance collaboration between federal and state security agencies.

He emphasized that security has been significantly tightened across Maiduguri and its environs, with increased patrols, surveillance, and joint operational deployments aimed at preventing further incidents. Residents were reassured of the force’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property in the aftermath of the attacks.

IGP Visits Maiduguri Bombing Sites, Assesses Security Measures

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Save us From Heavy Trailers Killing Our People… Muna Garage Residents Cry Out to Zulum

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Save us From Heavy Trailers Killing Our People… Muna Garage Residents Cry Out to Zulum

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Residents of Muna axis after customs area in Maiduguri have called on Governor Babagana Zulum to save them from the excesses of heavy duty vehicles who deliberately clog the international highway leading to Gamboru Ngala council area on a daily basis.

Some of the residents who spoke to this reporter after a recent crash which almost killed all the occupants of a commercial “Keke” regretted that the road traffic authorities in the state have not given this international highway the priority it deserves in terms of traffic management due to it’s prominence.

A careless trailer which was parked along the road close to the Alkome police hospital had narrowed the road for another trailer and a Keke nappe which struggled for the little space remaining all driving towards the Muna Garage area when a brush occurred and a sudden bang from the back by a third trailer which almost killed all the occupants of the keke nappe.

Some of the commuters came out alive from the crushed Keke with minor wounds while a particular man had his forefoot crushed almost hanging away from the ball of one of that very foot.

It was a bloody weekend for the commuters as blood from one of them flowed freely into the Keke and on the tarred road leading to Muna while onlookers rushed to see if anyone survived the crash.

Since no security personnel showed up within the first 30 minutes of the crash, the wounded were rushed to a nearby hospital while the trailer cleared from the road to ease traffic movement.

Most of the eye witnesses were enraged by the incident with some blaming it on the Keke riders while others castigated the trailers who insist on parking on the shoulder of this international route which should be free from these kinds of challenges.

Baana, a vulcanizer who says he has spent over three decades on this axis of the town called on Governor Babagana Zulum to as a matter of urgency build a massive modern trailer park for the heavy trucks so that they will stop parking along the road while they wait for clearance in the morning to embark on their journeys to Ngala and beyond.

“Lack of a modern trailer park is the main reason why we keep recording lingering accidents on a daily basis here with countless of people being wounded and are not recorded in the government statistics.” He stressed.

For mallam Isa, a teacher inside the suburb behind Alkome police Hospital, the Governor should as a matter of urgency sign an executive fiat to stop trailers from parking on main roads like this one leading to Mafa,Dikwa and Ngala.

” We are calling on the Governor to invoke an executive order based on section 5 of the 1999 constitution by banning all trailers from parking on the trunk A roads leading to Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

” This is because, apart from endangering the lives of commuters, prolonged stay on the tarred roads cause a lot of damage to the roads which the Governor has dualized after destruction by insurgency.”

Mallam Isa also called on Federal and State Road Safety managers in the state to create a road side emergency station along this route that would be assisting them in clearing accident victims in the road throughout the week and even during the weekend.

“look at this accident that just happened, they are all guilty of one offence or the other. But I equally blame the Keke riders because if they have respect for human lives, they will not be contesting for right of way with heavy duty trailers.

” These trailers are very wicked people. They use their big structures to block and entrap people only to be begging for mercy when the damage has been done.

” Their excesses are as grave as that of the keke napep people. The Federal Road Safety and the Borno traffic management authorities should increase their fines further to serve as deterrent on the rest.

Save us From Heavy Trailers Killing Our People… Muna Garage Residents Cry Out to Zulum

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