ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Borno governor holds cabinet retreat in remote town haunted by Boko Haram

Borno governor holds cabinet retreat in remote town haunted by Boko Haram

Borno governor holds cabinet retreat in remote town haunted by Boko Haram

byAbdulkareem Haruna
October 20, 2019
3 min read

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, is currently holding a retreat with his cabinet members in Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area.

Damasak is one of the communities in Borno State that became virtually empty after repeated attacks by Boko Haram. The town, one of the largest in Borno, shares a border with Niger Republic.

Attacks on soldiers and the few civilians left in Damasak by the Boko Haram is commonplace. But that did not deter the governor from holding his retreat there.

Mr Zulum said that defying the security threats to hold a retreat in Damasak was not intended to put his cabinet members in danger but to make them appreciate the enormity of the problems faced by his new government.

Isa Gusau, the governor’s spokesman, who provided details of the retreat, said the retreat is holding in Damasak, “which has remained a shadow of Itself since it was occupied by Boko haram as a caliphate.”

He said, “Damasak, hitherto a major agricultural community in the fringes of the Lake Chad that is less than 10 kilometres away from Diffa in the Niger Republic, was occupied and administered by Boko haram from November 2014 to 2016 before it was recovered by multinational forces.”

“Damasak had come under repeated attacks including early this year,” the spokesperson said.

In his opening speech at the retreat, Mr Zulum was quoted as saying that the choice of Damasak was to bring top government officials “face to face with the realities” on the ground and to remind them their appointments were not opportunities for luxury but for the serious task ahead of them.

“By tradition, retreats are held in the most serene and oftentimes, luxurious environments‎. However, holding retreats under the serene atmosphere is reserved for those who live and operate under normal circumstances.

RelatedNews

Insecurity: 348 killed, 411 abducted in violent attacks across Nigeria in December – Report

After seven months, court grants bail to soldier who criticised Buhari, Buratai

Borno govt donates relief items, cash to 11 families of slain Boko Haram victims

Borno govt enrols 1,163 IDP children in school

“Fellow members of the state executive council, I will like to remind us very strongly that our circumstances in Borno State are not normal. If we decide to hold our retreat in Maiduguri, Abuja or perhaps at Obudu Cattle ranch in Cross Rivers state, we may not totally true to ourselves and sensitive to the plight of our people.

“The wisdom of convening this retreat in Damasak, headquarters of Mobbar local government area in the most troubled northern part of Borno State, is to bring all of us, face to face with the realities of our challenges in Borno.

“Driving from Maiduguri to this place, we have passed major towns like Gubio and Kareto which have become near ghosts of what they used to be. We have seen villages that are without human occupation. We have seen on the road, soldiers at different points, clearly indicating that all is not normal with Borno.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

“Damasak, where we are today, used to be one of Borno’s agro-economic centres. Damasak used to be a large scale producer and exporter of farm produce like tomatoes, pepper, and other vegetables. Thousands of wealthy farmers and transporters, other fellow citizens have been killed, displaced to the Niger Republic and forced to become beggars. The story of Damasak business persons and fellow have become poor due to the We are here to remind ourselves that the oath of offices we differently took in May, June, August, and September 2019 is not for luxury.

“Borno has serious challenges and we have individually sworn with the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Bible to do whatever we can in trying to address the challenges facing Borno State,” the governor said.

Mr Zulum also charged the participants to see Damasak as an example that tells the realities of the 27 local government areas in the state. He said, “timelines are going to be created for the attainment of goals determined at the retreat.”

“At this retreat, ladies, and gentlemen, we shall not only come up with ideas that are achievable but insha’Allah, we shall be setting for ourselves timelines within which we are to achieve every goal we aim. We are here to spend only a few days in Damasak but there are thousands of our fellow brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, who live here on a permanent basis. We are here to feel their stay and to remind us of their needs for continued safety; their needs for shelter; their needs for medical care; their needs for water; their needs for schools; their needs for means of livelihoods.

“When we drove into this lodge, we saw hundreds of our young sons and daughters welcoming us happily. We saw wives, sisters, mothers, and fathers joining to welcome us. Whereas they all wore happy faces, we know that the majority of them are in distress. We should, therefore, regard Damasak as an example of the realities facing all of our 27 local government areas, particularly those in northern Borno,” the governor was quoted as saying.

Earlier, secretary to the state government, ‎Usman Jidda, said the retreat was meant for top government officials to cross-fertilize ideas “towards better service delivery in line with Governor Zulum’s vision and approach to governance.”

ADVERTISEMENT

He said the retreat had resource persons who discussed topics “peculiar to the challenges facing the state and suggestions on ways to solving them.”

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (1)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Police confirm kidnap of ACP, speak on ransom, rescue efforts

Next Post

Seven terrorists killed, eight others crippled by own IEDs in Borno – Army

Abdulkareem Haruna

Abdulkareem Haruna

More News

Yakubu Dogara [PHOTO CREDIT: @YouthsForAtiku]

Defection: Hearing notice to be pasted in Dogara’s office

January 19, 2021

EXCLUSIVE: Tension in Maiduguri as mob kills soldier who shot four civilians

January 19, 2021
Adamawa on map

Gunmen kidnap Adamawa traditional ruler

January 19, 2021
ARMY: Nigerian Soldiers (Army) on duty. [PHOTO CREDIT: The Guardian]

Nigerian troops eliminate terrorists, destroy gun trucks in Borno

January 16, 2021
Borno state on map used to illustrate the story

5,000 youth, women kick off public works programme in Borno

January 14, 2021
Boko Haram Video screen grab

Military airstrike kills scores of terrorists in Borno – Official

January 13, 2021
Next Post
Boko Haram vehicle used to tell the story.

Seven terrorists killed, eight others crippled by own IEDs in Borno – Army

Lupita wades into melanism in debut book, Sulwe

Lupita wades into melanism in debut book, Sulwe

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad




Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert

Heritage Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps Address Nationwide
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.