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Borno: Buhari’s CoS, Gambari Unveils 804 Houses Built By UNDP, Zulum’s Govt
- House-Owners Get 2,674 Cattle, N100k Each, Food, Clothes
President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, on Saturday in Mafa town of Borno State, commissioned a combined number of 804 houses for the resettlement of displaced members of the Ngarannam community and neighboring villages.
Although the project is for 804 houses, a total of 564 were completed.
The 804 houses were houses by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Borno State Government.
Borno State Government is building 304 houses from which 204 were completed with 100 ongoing, while the UNDP has 500 units of houses funded through a Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) from which 360 were completed while 140 were ongoing.
The UNDP’s housing estate, designed with a health centre, police post, school and market, was for the resettlement of Ngarannam community, while Borno’s houses are for resettlement of a number of villages neighboring Ngarannam.
From both projects, a total of 564 houses were completed out of the combined 804 targeted by Borno Government and the UNDP.
The UNDP had, in July 2019, developed a Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) with support from Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands and the European Union (EU).
The RSF was created to facilitate the implementation of a Regional Strategy for the Stabilization, Recovery & Resilience of areas affected by Boko Haram attacks around the Lake Chad Basin made up of communities in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. The RSF contributes towards the restoration of security and relief to communities affected by Boko Haram insurgency.
Ngarannam community in Mafa was attacked and destroyed by Boko Haram some years back, forcing community members to become displaced.
With the reconstruction of the community, a ceremony was hosted by Governor Zulum at the site of the UNDP’s houses in Mafa, for the commissioning.
Gambari was the special guest of honour while Nigeria’s Minister of State for Budget and National Development, Prince Clem Agba, was the guest of honour. Agba co-chairs Nigeria’s window of the Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF).
The ceremony, held amidst indigenous cultural performances and celebrations, was attended by the Deputy Governor of neighboring Yobe State, Idi Barde Gubana, Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), Amb. Mamman Nuhu, UNDP’s resident representative in Nigeria, Mohamed Yahya, and representatives of ECOWAS, the European Union, and embassies of Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, among other development partners.
National and State Assembly members and candidates from Borno State, the Shehu of Dikwa, party leaders and chieftains, commissioners, advisers and assistants, heads of government establishments and other senior government officials from Borno were in attendance.
Goodwill messages in solidarity with the people of Borno State in support of the projects and benefiting communities were delivered by Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana, Deputy Governor, Yobe State, Borno’s First Lady, Dr Falmata Babagana Zulum, Mr. Ayindé Soulé-Kohndon – First Secretary ECOWAS/Lake Chad, Embassy of the Netherlands, Mr. Jöran Bjallerstedt – Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, Mrs. Cécile Tassin-Pelzer – Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation and Amb. Annett Gunther of Germany.
Other goodwill messages came from Amb. Mamman Nuhu – E.S of LCBC, Borno’s Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar, who represented the Inspector General of Police, and Major General Christopher Musa – The Theatre Commander (TC) Joint Task Force North
East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK).
At the earliest stage of the ceremony, address of welcome was delivered by Borno’s Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Engr. Mustapha Gubio who was represented by AbdulRahman AbdulKarim, Special Adviser to Governor Zulum on reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement.
Guest of honour, Prince Clem Agba, later in his remarks, praised all stakeholders who contributed towards the reconstruction of the Ngarannam community.
He highlighted Governor Zulum’s extreme commitment and reaffirmed the FG’s commitment to stabilizing the northeast through multiple opportunities.
Chief Host, Governor Zulum said Borno was highly indebted to the UN and other humanitarian and development partners for their enormous support.
The governor praised UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who had visited Borno in May, 2022, as part of his relentless support for Borno’s stabilization.
Special Guest of Honour, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, conveyed the president’s gratitude to all humanitarian and development partners.
He said Buhari’s administration would continue to provide the needed support to the government of Borno, rest of the northeast to fully stabilize the northeast.
Gambari, accompanied by Zulum, Agba and foreign development partners, commissioned all the houses at both the UNDP’s site and Borno Government’s.
Keys to the houses were symbolically given to some families amongst the beneficiaries.
House-owners gifted 2,674 cattle, 100k each, food, clothes
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum announced the distribution of food stuff and 2,674 cattle made up of 873 cows and 1,801 goats as livelihood support for families that were being resettled in both estates.
He explained that 437 male heads of households were to each have a pair of bull and Heifer, while 64 female heads of households were to each receive a pair of she-goat and a he-goat.
Additionally, 503 housewives were each to get a pair of she-goats and one he-goat.
Zulum also said each of all the resettled households were to get two 50 kg bags of rice and maize, a gallon of vegetable oil, a mattress, plastic mat, blanket and clothing materials.
The governor also announced each of the resettling families, including the female heads of households, to get N100,000 cash through a micro-finance bank for economic activities.
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has urged for necessary measures to protect journalists and other media workers during this weekend’s off-cycle elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States.
The group sent the request to the federal and state governments, as well as law enforcement and security agencies, stressing that the role of journalists in disseminating information about the electoral process is critical to ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections.
In a statement issued ahead of the elections in Lagos and signed by the Communications Officer, Media Rights Agenda, Idowu Adewale, MRA also urged journalists to be cautious and to use its existing hotline (08138755660) to report any threat or attack they may encounter during the process, as well as any obstacle.
Adewale said in the statement: “Given the pattern of heightened attacks on journalists and the media during previous elections, including the recent 2023 general elections, as well as the tense political climate in the three states in the lead-up to the elections, measures must be taken to ensure general security during the elections and provide adequate protection for journalists covering the elections.”
“Access to information allows citizens and other members of the public to have the information they need about political and electoral processes, facilitating effective public participation in elections,” he says.
“Journalists and the media play an important role in ensuring residents and other members of the public have access to information and may participate in the process.
“As part of efforts to preserve the integrity of the polls, it is also critical that the safety and well-being of these interlocutors be assured and safeguarded.”
Lamenting the increased number of attacks on journalists in the run-up to the off-cycle elections, as well as earlier this year in the run-up to the general elections, he emphasised that “a free and vibrant media is fundamental to a healthy democracy, and journalists must be able to carry out their duties without fear, coercion, or violence.” During this vital phase, MRA stands ready to assist them and assure their safety.”
Men from the Edo State Police Command are said to have detained Mrs. Toluige Olokoobi’s husband after he allegedly murdered her.
Olokoobi was the mother of Oreofeoluwa Lawal-Babalola, the tiny boy whose video went viral in 2020 after he pleaded with his mother, “Mummy be calming down.”
Oreofeoluwa rose to prominence on social media after a video of him crying in an attempt to confidently appeal to his mother, who chastised him, went viral.
The film inspired Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who used it to deliver an Eid-el-Kabir appeal to Muslims and Lagos people in general to remain calm during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Following that, the youngster and his family met with the governor, who praised his bravery and poise.
While little has been heard about the family in three years, heartbreaking news broke on social media on Tuesday that the boy’s mother had committed suicide.
According to an X user, Olokoobi committed suicide in Benin, the capital of Edo State, for unknown reasons.
The X user, who stated that he was present at the site on Monday afternoon, went on to say that she had refused to disclose her difficulties with anyone before committing herself.
“The woman in the viral Mummy Calm Down video has just committed suicide here in Benin,” he stated in an email.
“She refused to discuss her problems with anyone.” She abandoned three children for her husband, including the well-known Mummy Calm Down boy.”
Meanwhile, confirming Olokoobi’s death in a chat with BBC Pidgin, the spokesperson of the Edo State police command, Chidi Nwabuzor, said her husband has been arrested and detained for questioning.
Nwabuzor said the husband reported the matter to the police.
The police spokesperson quoted the husband to have said that “he came home from the market when he saw his wife hanging with rope on her neck”.
Nwabuzor said she was rushed to the hospital and then to the mortuary after she was confirmed dead. (Adapted from a Vanguard report).
The Anambra State Police Command Headquarters Conference Hall was a hive of activity Thursday as CP Aderemi Adeoye took turns decorating around 18 promoted officers of the command with their new titles.
The delight of some of the officers whose wives assisted the CP in decorating their husbands with their new ranks knew no bounds, as their husbands duly saluted their wives and the CP for their new positions and responsibilities.
Obi Innocent, one of the officers elevated to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), whose wife joined CP Aderemi Adeoye in adorning him with his new rank, said it was wonderful that the Inspector General of Police thought him worthy.
CSP Obi Innocent, the officer in charge of the Legal Department at Zone 13, Police Zonal Headquarters Ukpo, stated that his new rank was a call to service and that he would do his best to uphold the charge given to them by CP Aderemi Adeoye to respect and protect the citizenry’s fundamental rights in the discharge of their new assignments.
Charity Akharame, who was honoured with the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and was the only female officer among the 18 promoted officers decorated with new ranks, said it was not an easy feat but she was grateful to be among those who were decorated with their new ranks.
DSP Charity Akharame, the officer in charge of stores in the Anambra State Police Command, recalled how she began as a Police Constable and worked her way up to her current position as Deputy Superintendent of Police.
She stated that as a very disciplined police officer, she would follow the Police Commissioner’s directions regarding respect for all and sundry in the fulfillment of her constitutional obligations.
Jane-Frances Obi, one of the spouses of the officers elevated to the level of CSP, stated that being the wife of a police officer was not an easy assignment. As a result, she recommended any lady who is married to a police officer to be patient and understanding because the job is quite demanding.
Jane-Frances Obi, whose husband is Innocent Obi, the officer in charge of the Legal Department at Zone 13 Ukpo, believes the promotion is a reward for years of being patient, understanding, and standing in for them when they are not present.
Meanwhile, Emenike Chinenyenwa, who was decorated with the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and presented a vote of appreciation, expressed deep gratitude to the IGP and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission for considering them worthy of being adorned in their new ranks.
ACP Emenike, the officer in charge of Medicals, stated that the elevation comes with increased responsibility and that they will work harder in their new tasks.
CP Aderemi Adeoye praised the current promotion winners in his remarks, noting that two aspects make the police career very interesting and eventful. He stated that one is for promotion and the other is for positions.
CP Adeoye, on the other hand, urged the newly honored officers to develop more empathy, compassion, care, and dedication in the performance of their jobs.
The police chief insisted that newly promoted officers must first recognise that they share the same humanity as others, and as a result, they must treat all people with dignity and protect their fundamental human rights at all times.
CP Aderemi Adeoye stressed that without the enormous roles of spouses, they wouldn’t have been successful in their careers. He therefore congratulated all the promoted and prayed that God gives them good health to enjoy the new ranks and the energy to discharge the responsibilities of their new offices.
- Source: Independent
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