Analysis-100 days: Has Gov. Zulum justified his one million votes?

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By Hon. Tanimu Adamu Tahir

With over one millions votes in unprecedented victory at the March 2019 governorship polls, expectations were expectedly high from Borno’s 7th elected Governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum. His first 100 days, May 29 to September 6, 2019, became a yardstick readily available to voters in measuring if indeed the academic don turned politician, merited those one million votes he got from across the 27 local government areas of Borno state. Has Governor Zulum justified those one million votes?

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There’s no gainsaying that a hundred days of supposed four years task is too short a quantum of time to determine the overall performance of a Governor, more so, that of a state troubled by insurgency. However, Zulum’s astonishing deliveries within the period of his first hundred days in office speak volume of his capacity and will to do more.

Given his track records of tested and proven integrity which saw him roundly endorsed by all well meaning political stakeholders, led in by then Governor Kashim Shettima, there was at the minds of everyone, the believe that within the next four to eight years, ceteris paribus, Governor Zulum would turn around the fortune of Borno state and consequently, assure Bornoans of a Borno of their dreams.

However, the expectation was for the new Governor to use his hundred days  in office to hold early security meetings, constitute his cabinets and take inventory of non-completed projects and as an ace academic, hit the ground running in revamping the education sector.

It was an amazing shock to Bornoans and Nigerians at large, that rather learn the ropes, Governor Zulum within just hundred days in office, delivered unprecedented avalanche of achievements, never recorded in Nigeria’s recent political history.

Informed undoubtedly by his sort of person-highly revered moral and academic credentials which is conspicuously demonstrated in his unblemished integrity elegantly adorned by his smart,honest,humble,intelligent, diligent,compassionate, focused, open, and considerate nature of being, the professor Governor was verily expected to reposition the state but not as swift as this-in hundred days.

Yes, it is true that in his less than 48 hours of assumption of office, Prof Zulum began series of security meetings, travelled to hard to reach areas to assess security issues. Yes, it is true that within hundred days in office, governor Zulum provided logistics to security establishments; procured and distributed over 160 surveillance vehicles to civilian JTF,hunters and vigilantes,made an upward review of CJTF salaries to motivate them, procurement and distribution of security gadgets to counterinsurgency volunteers, eight(8) Excavators for digging of trenches, two(2) bulldozers for roadside clearance so as to avert highway ambush by the insurgents, and excavation of trenches surrounding Banki,Rann and Ngala.

Education is a fundamental component of human endeavour that cannot be over emphasized. It remains a critical and core force of every enduring meaningful development, everywhere in the world. Hence, Gov. Zulum who’s a globally- minded leader appreciate the need to be pragmatically local in addressing provincial challenges particularly in a federating state of a global south country like Nigeria. Education, a sector whose inadequacy is greatly part of the root causes of the Boko Haram insurgency is receiving the much needed attention as Governor has constructed two mega schools within hundred days from Foundation to its finishing stage,embarked on reconstruction, rehabilitation, renovation and remodelling of prominent schools, construction of new school structures, procurement of furniture and other teaching and learning logistics across Borno, and construction of 7.3km road in the Borno State University, leaving no local government behind.

Amazingly, Gov. Zulum is not putting aside matters of health and human services as he swiftly executed the construction of new primary health care in Pulka,Dalori and a community health centre in Kwajaffa town. In addition,renovation of General hospital Rann and rehabilitation of General hospital Gwoza was done in hundred days. Amazing!Isn’t it?Wait, that’s not enough!He successfully saw to the renovation of General hospital Biu with a view to upgrading it to a specialist standard, construction of General hospital in Monguno (in progress), community health centre in Chongom,Limanti ward of Bayo LG, primary health care in Ngulde, Askira/Uba local government, southern Borno.

Yes, it is true, that within just hundred days in office, Prof. Zulum/Kadafur led administration has constructed a befitting Local Government Secretariat with state of the art specification, in Biu and Bayo local government areas. In hundred days in office, Governor Zulum has proven once again that his words are truly his bond. To think that just in hundred days a completion of skills acquisition centre in Marama is at its finishing stage and that of   vocational training centre in Muna of Jere local government and training  shall soon commence,proclaiming a ban on political thuggery championed largely by youths whilst engaging them in money- generating skills acquisition training with monthly stipend of thirty thousand naira capturing about two thousand youths as a pilot deradicalisation and empowerment scheme, is unbelievable.

Part of areas commendably touched by Prof. Zulum is Urban & rural water supply. Boreholes were within hundred days in office constructed in some direly water scarce areasofGwoza,Konduga,Dikwa,Ngala,Mafa,Jere,Hawul,Askira/Uba,Magumeri,Bayo,Shani and Maiduguri metropolitan council.

Yes, it is true that within hundred days in office, Governor Zulum has already given education in the state, a facelift. He has within the hundred days, granted scholarship to over six thousand indigent students, ensured a maiden take off of academic activities  at Borno State University in no time- this September2019 to be precise, built a mega school, built teachers’ quarters in Marama, employed more teachers, revived and revamped Borno State Library to improve reading culture, brought sanity in the Scholarship Board, approved construction of many schools destroyed by the insurgents gruesome activities, across the state, completed many schools building projects, among many others.

Yes, it is true, that within his hundred days in office, Governor Zulum had engaged the services of Agro Rangers security team, to secure the farmers, provided farming inputs and cash to over one thousand farmers, cultivated over ten thousand hectares of land for food security, identified irrigation suitable location for improved crop production – just in hundred days!

Environmental challenges pose disastrous consequences to our ecologically endangered environment thus the need for urgent action. As a result, out of sheer concern and desire to proffer lasting solutions, erosion was tackled in Gwoza town of Gwoza local government as well as sustainable flood & erosion control at Ngamdu, kaga local government. Also, for improved access roads, the highly important Banki bridge was speedily rehabilitated.

Energy is a quintessential aspect of human required facilities. Importantly, power supply is to the modern economy what mitochondria is to human cells. Hence, its deplorable state is in its entirety a clear impediment to economic growth and development. Therefore, in a view to revamping the economy and better social being of Bornoans, rural electrification and re-electrification of decayed and decaying power infrastructures was treated with utmost urgency by Prof. Zulum in his only hundred days of stewardship.

Reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement is an indispensable post-insurgency agenda that must not be overlooked by any government that has shown commitment towards recovery derive in an insurgency ravaged state like Borno. Consequently, within the hundred days, Prof. Zulum did not hesitate in seeing to the reconstruction of Resort centre in Dikwa, local government secretariat in Rann of Kala Balge,Renovation of government lodge still in Rann, construction of new government lodge in Gwoza,five hundred housing units in Kawuri of Konduga, completion of reconstruction of houses and District ‘s head palace in Kwajaffa of Hawul, as well as rehabilitation of local education authority office in Mafa local government.

The urban communities were not left behind as they benefit the completion of 8.2km and 1.2km of road networks at Ngomari old airport and ‘Yandoya area, respectively.

It’s intriguing and laudable to have just in hundred days of assumption into office, one hundred and twenty (120) projects across the state.

Not only the people of Borno state who gave Prof Zulum one million votes six months ago, enthusiastic Nigerians at large, have been left utterly bereft of speech in their excitement and gratitude to the Almighty, for a rare gift to mankind, a Professor of Irrigation, member of the prestigious institute of strategic studies and may I add, a ‘Sarkin Aiki’ is already moving Borno to the next level of greatness.

*Tahir, a special assistant on media to Prof Zulum wrote from Maiduguri.

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