*Speaker requests for interventions on roads, return of Guzamala IDPs
By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum despite the crunching situation and crucial issues of insecurity, poverty, unemployment, resettlement of IDPs back to their ancestral homes, dilapidated educational and healthcare delivery services that his government has been battling with since assumption of office over three years ago, has singled out 20 major capital projects he targets to achieve, among many others, in the year 2023 when re-elected.
The governor who highlighted the 20 projects at the floor of the Borno State House of Assembly while presenting his fiscal year 2023 appropriation bill tagged “Budget of Continuity for Sustainability”, assured that he will accomplish the projects with the support of the State Assembly members and other critical stakeholders, Including the security and community leaders who play vital roles in the restoration of peace in the state.
Zulum noted that, with the relative peace being enjoyed and continued efforts to restore permanent peace in the state, next year his government will ensure free movement of vehicles and people uptil 12 midnight along major highways linking the state capital maiduguri, especially, the Maiduguri-Damaturu road, Maiduguri-Bama-Banki-Gwoza road and Maiduguri-Dikwa-Gamboru Ngala road to allow commercial and administrative activities take place.
He explained that before then, the state government last year similarly, earmarked 20 targeted major projects and they were delivered along new ones in the reviewing 2022 budget that he presented in November 2021 which he said informed the presentation of deficit budget for the 2023 as some of the projects are ongoing and others almost at various stages of completion in 2022 financed out of the 2022 budget.
The governor added that even some of the proposed 2023 projects listed in the 2023 budget are also being executed in this 2022 as their ground breaking had taken place and work in progress located at various LGAs of the three senatorial districts of the state, stressing that, efforts and priorities will however be given adequate attention as due to security challenges most of the capital projects excited by the state government in the past three to four years by his administration were concentrated in the central and southern senatorial districts with less in the northern senatorial district of the state.
Zulum further disclosed that national grid has been restored to the state capital by the electricity power company and light is presently being distributed to the city, while repairs to some transformers and fuse boxes have commenced in earnest by the electricity company in addition to the solar system the state government has installed and will further install more.
The governor highlighted the following capital projects as his 2023 targets in the 2023 budget.
“We plan to complete and commission all ongoing projects across the state in 2023.
“We plan to implement our lift of the embargo on workers/staff promotion and to pay promotional benefits.
“We plan to drill 54 Hybrid Powered Boreholes, two in each of the 27 Local Government Areas of the state.
“We plan to construct three (3) water works in MMC and Jere.
“We plan to construct water works in Azare Town of Hawul Local Government Area.
“We plan to establish 60 hectares of sprinkler irrigation systems in 6 Local Government Areas of the State, to enhance crop production.
“We plan to construct nine (9) Earth Dams in the State.
“We plan to construct teachers’ quarters in Biu, Hawul, Dikwa and Gajiram towns of the State.
“We plan to establish 3 Mega Higher Islamic Colleges in Gwoza, Bama, and Kukawa Local Government Areas of the State.
“We plan to construct additional 3 Mega Community Schools in the State.
“We plan to construct 500 Housing Units in Biu and Magumeri Local Government Areas.
“We plan to construct a Fly-over around Borno Express Junction and West End roundabout
“We Plan to construct a dual carriage road from the Shehu’s roundabout to Songhai.
“We plan to complete the construction of 500 Housing Units in Logumani and Gajibo Towns.
“We plan to establish Schools of Nursing in Gwoza and Monguno.
16. We plan constructing a by-pass from Kano road to Gubio road, from kano road to University of Maiduguri/Bama road and from Bama road to Dikwa Road (Cycling Maiduguri city).
“We plan to construct township roads in Monguno.
“We plan to complete Maiduguri – Bama Road.
“We plan to complete Damboa – Chibok road.
“We Plan to procure 312 Agricultural implements (Harrows and Ploughs) for our 312 Tractors procured by my predecessor, for onward distribution to farmers in all the 312 wards of the 27 LGAs across the state,” he listed.
He also solicited for the speedy passage of the 2023 budget to enable his government provide the citizens of the state the desired basic infrastructures with the relative peace to improve socio-economic and political activities across the state in fulfilment of his mandate to thee people.
The Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly (BOSHA), Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan thanked the governor for his elaborate and people oriented projects and programmes delivery, while assuring him and the people of Borno of the lawmakers willingness to support and join him in serving the people of Borno effectively and efficiently in the overall interest of the state.
He however, requested for the intervention of the governor on the resettlement of Guzamala LGA IDPs and construction of the major roads linking Monguno , Kukawa and Guzamala LGAs in the Northern part of the state, while assuring him of the speedy passage of the appropriation bill and called on ministries and parastatals to cooperate with the House committees on oversight functions at their organizations.
