Above should be the title of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum’s midterm report as Governor of Borno State. He may not boast of having taken Borno to where he hoped to, but there are very strong indications, that, even in the face of the serious challenges facing the State, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is only a matter of time before she gets out of the doldrum.
Unlike others, he does not need hired hands to tell his success stories, as the name of the Borno State helmsman is today the beautiful lyrics on the lips of most Nigerians, when you talk of leadership.
In the next few weeks, the media space will be awash with various analysis of how State Governor’s have performed in the last two years. While some may say that, the security situation, cum the living conditions of most Nigerians leave little or no room for celebrations, the ritual in Nigeria, celebrating the turn of every year of governance cannot be ignored.
As such, Nigerians have adopted to listening to, or reading or even watching stories depicting performances. But Nigerians do not need to listen to, read or watch Babagana Umara Zulum: as most of them are by now familiar with his leadership style. Ask most Nigerians on the street, and they are bound to single out Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, as one of the best. One cannot fault the Governor either if he beats his chest, for making his mark even in the face of the daunting challenges posed by Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Against the national outcry, that the problems of Nigeria oscillates around leadership, Zulum did not leave anybody in doubt from inception that, he intends to make the difference in leadership, hence, hitting the ground running, so to say, on assumption of office.
It is no longer news that, Borno has been the epicenter of Boko Haram activities in the last eleven years. It is also a fact that the chunk of the state’s resources, under successive regimes since the outbreak of the insurgency has gone into managing the situation and rebuilding damaged infrastructure.
The creation of the Ministry of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Resettlement, RRR, may not have come at a better time, just as no better choice than Professor Babagana Umara Zulum as the pioneer Commissioner in charge of the Ministry.
The people of Borno state shall always pay tribute to the exceptional vision of Zulum’s predecessor, Senator Kashim Shettima for insisting on Zulum as his successor, against all odds. Professor Zulum’s exposure at the Ministry of RRR may have prepared him very well for the job of the Governor. He assumed office with a clearly defined goal, which he combined with his well known passion for peace and development. Infact, those who often analyse his ten point agenda always focus on peace and development as the fulcrum.
The immediate task Zulum set out to achieve immediately he assumed office, has been the restoration of peace in areas most affected by the insurgency and the Resettlement of displaced people to their ancestral abodes.
In doing this, Zulum embarked on agressive rebuilding of structures into which the returnees will settle, even as he pushes for the annihilation of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, by complementing Military efforts with civilian components, including local hunters, vigilantes and Civilian Joint Task Force volunteers.
Zulum took very high risks by always being at the war front with the Military, for which he has been attacked several times. Many people wonder where he gets the resources from to undertake some of the tasks to when they see him rebuilding communities and giving out palliatives to displaced people and returnees.
While it may be true that the hinterland is still being terrorized by insurgents, it is also a truism that, a visitor to Maiduguri and major towns in Borno can attest to the rapid infrastructural transformations taking place under the Governor. I have heard people refer to Maiduguri as the new Dubai, because of the changing face of the ancient city.
I will leave the specifics for those whose job it is to compile Governor Zulum’s leadership report sheet, but suffice it to state that, the story of despair being painted does not reflect the true situation, as those on ground are smiling with hopes that we have crossed the Rubicon, and the future of a peaceful and progressive Borno under Governor Babagana Umara Zulum is foreseeable.
