By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Borno State governor Babagana Zulum on Sunday said based on records available to him, his state and the entire North East region is better off today security-wise despite recent killings.
Not less than 43 rice farmers were gruesomely murdered penultimate Saturday by Boko Haram terrorists, provoking national and international outcry.
The Northern Elders Forum asked the president to resign.
But Zulum insisted on Sunday that “the security situation in Borno State and indeed the entire North East sub-region is still far better under the President Buhari administration” than the previous administration.
Though he did not mention the previous president or his administration by name, President Goodluck Jonathan was Buhari’s successor.
The governor also said no one should be blinded by the killing of 43 rice farmers to pass negative judgment on Buhari’s efforts to checkmate Boko Haram insurgency.
The governor stated this while addressing northern elders from the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The ACF team led by the chairman of its board of trustees, Ambassador Shehu Malami, and the forum’s executive chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had paid a condolence visit to the government and people of Borno State over the killing of 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari, a farming community in Jere local government area.
Zulum, a Professor, said: “From statewide statistics on affairs in the 27 local governmnet areas since 2011, the fact is that despite recent happenings, the security situation in Borno State and, indeed, that of the entire North East sub-region is still far better under Buhari, and this is based on records.
“For instance, unlike the years before Buhari when a number of LGAs were no-go-areas, we now have indigenes safely back to Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Dikwa, Ngala, Monguno, Kukawa, Damboa, Konduga, Mafa … which no one could have visited not to talk of living there.
“Our Emirs were all in exile. Today, Bama is coming back to life and so is Askira-Uba, Damboa, Gwoza and others. Life is even returning to Baga. This was impossible before Buhari. In fact, it was not possible to move few kilometers out of Maiduguri.
“Insurgents were so bold to attack and take over military facilities, like the army barracks at Monguno, Bama, Giwa Barrack and Multinational Joint Task Force Headquarters at Baga, to mention just a few … but all these have stopped under Buhari.
“There were daily bomb blast attacks in many parts of Maiduguri, the most populated part of the state, but all these have stopped under President Buhari. These are the records and no one can dispute them.”
