I might or may sound immodest in my assertion that but for the present security challenges that embroiled Borno and attempting to reduce the region to a colossus with a feet of clay, Borno leadership role in the entire north and beyond, from time immemorial, was unassailable. Hold it, before rubbishing, scrutinizing, or deflating my standpoint on this status of Borno’s past and present. Yes, I am not in contest with that view that history could be subjective, depending on the perception of the individual historian, but in journalism I am told ‘facts are sacred and comments superfluous’. An attempt to desecrate fact or facts made one a suspect as, sooner or later, the fact stands like the flame no one can hide, as it must find its escape route to visibility and validity.
What I am saying is that, until of recent when the demons of destruction and the extremists in the toga of Boko Haram chose to reduce Borno into rubbles of history or Shakespeare’s ‘architecture of mins’, a landscape of shattered homesteads, severed limbs, tattered lives, ravaged farmlands and looted barns, Borno stood first among the equals and led while, others followed. Don’t forget Borno was The Point of convergence, with regards the historic Trans-Saharan trade, and the first to accept Islam in West Africa and beyond. Borno was acclaimed as a great land, the Fulani jihadists could not penetrate as a result of exemplary and dynamics leadership of Sheikh Muhammed El-kanemi who, in his efforts to ensure peace, carried on a series of theological, legal and political debates through letters with Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio and his son, Muhammed Bello.
The historic ancient city of Geidam was a centre of scholarship and learning, where scholars from the Maghrib Al-Agsa, the Nile valley and the central Bilad Al-Sudan converged in search of knowledge. They brought with them the ancient literature of classical Arabic, the history of Islam and the Muslim civilization. To this city, many scholars brought with them the knowledge of Al-Azhar and Kushite civilization. The whole of Geidam once represented the massive structure of a university, in one part of the city, the great Imams read and discussed the Quran, the Tafsir, while in another part of the city, scholars were engaged in scholastic debate in Figh, Hadith and Philosophy. Apart from its scholastic importance and reputation as Centre of learning, Geidam was a great market.
As the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme commenced in earnest, in Borno State, the epi-centre of the terror war, remarkable progress have been made by the Borno State government as the IDPs from Bama, Gwoza, Konduga, Beni-sheikh towns are been resettled at their permanent homes
Coming down to the old Northern Nigeria, Borno was the engine room of the administration, as about 70% of the permanent secretaries came from Borno province, while the first and last indigenous Governor General of Northern Nigeria, in the person of Sir Kashim Ibrahim, hailed from Borno. In the sphere of western education, sons and daughters of Borno have made significant gains. Not very long this category of people occupied high positions in the civil service and other allied fields in the country from engineering, technology, broadcasting, teaching, the police force and the military.
I have gone all the length to buttress the argument that but for the rude, senseless and unproved attack of Boko Haram sect with deep rooted prejudice and subversion against Borno State from its onset, the state was not only ‘Home of Peace and Hospitality’, but a defining leader in every reckon, especially in this part of the country.
However, for the past eight years, the Northeast and Borno in particular is engulfed in a protracted unprovoked war where there are two combatants – the demons and misguided extremists and the unsuspecting innocent citizens. The insurgency has invested on the people’s deaths, blood and sorrow. Official assessment a year back put the cost of the damaged infrastructure in the Northeast at $9billion with over 100, 000 deaths. Of this amount, Borno had the burden share of $6billion damage with regards to infrastructure, 54, 911 widows and 52, 300 orphan. However, unofficial estimates with regards damage to infrastructure, loss of human lives, orphans and widows stood at triple the official figures, considering the fact that in this part of the country most men married more than a wives and give births to many
children.
It is, however, a sign of relief as the insurgency is gradually winding down as a result of constant heat on the terrorists by the security agencies. Consequent upon this, the shift has moved to reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement (3Rs). The Borno State government, which created the 3Rs Ministry, has intensified efforts at ensuring the policy objective of the ministry is manifest. To achieving this, the broken down infrastructure, including schools, houses, public institutions, are either reconstructed or rehabilitated. In the forefront of this agenda is Governor Kashim Shettima who, from the inception of his administration, among others, has been able to mobilize and sensitive, the Federal Government, the International Communities, donor agencies, including the non–governmental organizations (NGOs) both at home and abroad on the destruction and horror perpetuated by the terrorists, as well the resultant effects on the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), which stood at over 2 million people.
As the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme commenced in earnest in Borno State, the epi-centre of the terror war, remarkable progress have been made by the Borno State government, as the IDPs from Bama, Gwoza, Konduga, Beni-Sheikh towns are been resettled at their permanent homes. In this regard, of the federal government, the donor countries, agencies, NGOs and individuals are being appreciated.
Let it be on record here that in this war against these blood thirsty demons, the youth of Borno in particular have given good account of themselves as they dared the lion in is den thereby demystifying the erroneously held-belief that the terrorists were either mysterious characters that disappear to appear or unassailable. Observing the butchering of the innocent souls with impunity and the disposition of the terrorism infested extremists to continue in this orgy of destruction and blood letting, the Borno youth turned the biblical David ready to confront the Goliath. This it did with equanimity and resultant success. This was the turning point in the insurgency war as the response by these fearless youth signaled the departure of most Boko Haram sect members especially the foot soldiers from being the dwellers of the cities to citizens of the villages and forests.
Victor Izekor, a journalist and public affairs analyst is a member of The POINT’s Board of Advisers.
They have since remained the inhabitants of the bushes from where they unleash their terror on designated areas and runback to the forests. The patriotic youth of liberation started in the formation of a group, gravitated into vigilante then to youth vanguard and metamorphosed into Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) with the full support of the state government that has now assumed the responsibility for the security outfit numbering in thousands. Governor Kashim Shettima administration provide among others vehicles, uniforms, salaries and other incidentals for the security outfit. The CJTF has become part of the state security architecture and plays a valuable role in the ongoing war against the terrorists. According to the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai/the CJTF which is recognized by the federal government plays vital role in the insurgency war as it among others provide valuable information on the movement and location of the insurgents and cover for the troops. In some instances, they fight along the troops. Already, the army has begun the direct recruitment of its members into the landforce (army). As expected, the security outfit has recorded loss as a sizeable numbers of its population has paid the supreme in the current war against terror.
However, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State is not a happy man judging by the low contribution of his own kinsmen especially the politicians and elite of Borno to the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme of the government. At every opportuned forum, Governor Shettima would commend the federal government, the donor countries, NGOs, and individuals who contributed one way or the other to the on-going rehabilitation programme in the state and at the same tongue lash his kinsmen who do the contrary. For example, during the courtesy call of the National Executive Council Members of the Nigeria Bar Association at the Government House in Maiduguri penultimate Monday, Kashim repeated himself. He commended among others the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the Mohammed Indimi Foundation and the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo for their selfless and invaluable contribution.
Dangote Foundation has built in Maiduguri for the IDPs 200 units of 2 room apartment and a school in addition to collaboration with the Borno state government to reconstruct and equipped the Borno state Healthcare Development Agency. Similarly, the Muhammadu Indimi Foundation founded by Muhammadu Imdimi, a citizen of Borno has embarked on the construction of a N 600 million solar – powered village consisting of 100 units of three room houses for the IDPs of 100 families in Bama town. The village in addition feature five blocks of classrooms, an open-shed market, fully equipped health centre, and incinerator and sports facilities.
On his part, the vice – president is building an orphanage in Maiduguri to take care of the orphans. Governor Shettima who pointed out that his government is building Mega Schools to take care of the orphans occasioned by the terror war stated that a school would be named each after the vice – president and Aliko Dangote in appreciation of their kind gesture to the state. Kashim nevertheless expressed total displeasure at prominent Borno Billionaires or plutocrats who remained deaf and dump to the feelings of the suffering ones in the state especially the predicament of the IDPs. He regretted that at onset of the insurgency, some prominent Borno men abandoned the state with their families and pets while some from their new abode instigate conflict in Maiduguri for their own self-end. Kashim went further to indict a prominent Borno plutocrat having four aircrafts and could not give a dime for the upliftment of the suffering victims of the insurgency. It would be recalled that in one of such public fora, the governor had indicted a personality from the state having a megalopolis containing 28 rooms and donated billions of naira to a political party but could not give N 50,000 (fifty thousand) to assist the Borno suffering masses. He then warned that now that polities is here the concerned run away Borno individuals would come home to reap where they did not sow warning” “we are ready for them, we have defeated Boko Haram, we shall defeat them”.
It would be recalled that even the military in statements had indicted some individuals and politicians from Northeast especially Borno of frustrating the war on insurgency for their self interest.
