Continued from last week….
They have since remained the inhabitants of the bushes from where they unleash terror on designated areas and run back 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 with members numbering thousands.
Governor Kashim Shettima’s administration provides, 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.
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
According to the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, the CJTF, which is recognised by the federal government, plays a vital role in the insurgency war as it, among others, provides a 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 land force (army).
As expected, the security outfit has recorded some losses as a sizeable number of its population has paid the supreme price 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 opportune 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 recently, Kashim repeated himself. He commended, among others, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the Mohammed Indimi Foundation and the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osibajo, for their selfless and invaluable contributions.
Dangote Foundation has built in Maiduguri, for the IDPs, 200 units of 2 -room apartment and a school, in addition to a collaboration with the Borno State Government to reconstruct and equip the 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, featured five blocks of classrooms, an open-shed market, fully equipped health centre, and an 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 the 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 who has four aircraft 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 to assist the Borno suffering masses. He then warned that now that politics is here, the 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 the Northeast, especially Borno of frustrating the war on insurgency for their self-interest.
Concluded
Victor Izekor, a journalist and public affairs analyst is a member of The POINT’s Board of Advisers.
