Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State
says the state has lost more than 800 classrooms to the activities of
members of the Boko Haram sect.
The governor, who said this on Thursday
in Maiduguri, the state capital, however, said he was glad that peace
was already returning to the troubled state.
Shettima spoke during the traditional
Sallah Durbar (horse parade), which was held amidst fanfare at the
Shehu’s palace in Maiduguri, Borno State.
It was the first durbar since 2009, when it was last held due to the security challenge in the state.
Shettima was in attendance as special
guest of honour and it was the first time a sallah durbar was held since
he became the state governor in May, 2011.
The durbar, which was generally
described as peaceful and colourful, took place soon after the Eid
prayers that was conducted at Ramat Square, about two kilometres away
from the Shehu’s palace in Maiduguri.
It was held following the emergence of
relative peace in the state, owing to security operations and activities
of youths volunteers, nicknamed ‘Civilian JTF’ , who have been haunting
Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri and other parts of the state.
The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar
Elkanemi, was said to have suspended the traditional sallah durbar in
2009 for fear of terrorists’ attacks.
The first major Boko Haram crisis took
place in July, 2009, leading to the deaths of hundreds of persons,
amongst them insurgents, security agents and innocent citizens.
At the resumed durbar on Thursday,
traditional rulers were on horse parade to the admiration of Shettima,
the Shehu and other dignitaries, while residents cheered.
Shettima, while addressing guests at a
sallah lunch he organised at the Government House after the durbar,
commended the efforts of the military JTF and the vigilance group for
sustaining the relative peace that led to the smooth celebration of the
Eid-el Fitr in the state.
Shettima described as unfortunate the
fact that since the inception of the crisis, “the Boko Haram insurgents
had killed hundreds of residents and destroyed property worth hundreds
of millions of naira, including over 800 public secondary and primary
school classrooms set ablaze, in different communities in the state.”
The governor, however, said he was happy
that normalcy was returning to the state. He, therefore commended the
JTF, the vigilante youths and the patriotic citizens for their efforts
in this regard.
He said, “Although, the state has
encountered serious damages, we, as government, will not be deterred by
the activities of terrorists as we will soon renovate and rehabilitate
all the public structures destroyed by the Boko Haram sect in the state,
even as we will continue to support security agencies with our scarce
resources in the fight against terrorism.”
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some have food but cannot eat. we wey can eat no get no food. stop wasting our resources and building schools for those who do not want to attend school. na by force? since BH wants the not to be backward leave them alone. whyhave they not destroyed the airports and hospitals and all the media/communication houses?
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