As a prominent lawmaker from the North
eastern region, do you feel the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps
located in some schools should be disbanded so that the schools can re-open
even though some people argue that the security situation is not safe for such
schools to re-open because of the Boko Haram insurgency?
I
am not just a lawmaker from the North-east region, I am from Borno State, the
most troubled and traumatised state in the region which has suffered a lot as a
result of the Boko Haram menace. When a motion was raised in the House that the
IDPs should vacate the schools they occupied in order for the schools to
resume, some members objected to the motion but in my own opinion, there are
some areas where it is safe for the schools to re-open like the state capital,
Maiduguri Metropolitan (MM) and some other local governments. The security
situation has improved so much in those areas that I believe it will be safe
for the students to resume their classes there. Even in Chibok, where the
female students were abducted, people are residing there, talk less of other
local governments where the Boko Haram insurgency was not so severe. So in
essence what we are saying is that in some relatively peaceful areas, the
schools should re-open like MM and my local government, Kaga. The problem is
that many people have relocated from many areas because of the fear of Boko
Haram and are now residing in MM, with their children and it will be difficult
to convince them to go back now. If not, those areas are secure enough for
schools to re-open, because the Boko Haram terrorists have been dislodged by
the recent military operations and are on the run from the Nigerian Army and
Air Force. In fact I believe that even before the end of December, the Boko
Haram menace will soon be a thing of the past.
In the face of the Boko Haram menace,
how do you assess the performance of your governor, His Excellency, Alhaji
Shettima Ibrahim?
The
cardinal principle of politics which our able governor has so admirably
displayed is to always be with your people at all times whether in times of
peace or in times of trouble and this shows that Alhaji Shettima is a democrat
to the core, and also very courageous to remain with them no matter the amount
of crisis or turbulence at hand. Also Alhaji Shettima has embarked on numerous
people - oriented projects like free feeding for all students in primary and
secondary institutions, free transport, free accomodation and free uniforms for
all of them. He has made life easier for the IDPs by providing them with free
housing with the construction of over 2,500 housing units at Legacy Houses,
Teachers Village, Damboa Housing Estate etc. Without those free houses, life
would have been so much harder for the IDPs and their families. So we are very happy
and confident with the leadership style and focus of Governor Shettima and we
urge him not to relent in his dynamic and grassroots - oriented policies.
How would you describe the late deputy governor
of Borno State
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