At a strategic location in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital is a huge billboard with the picture of one of the poster boys of the All Progressives Congress (APC)- Homeboy, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum with the bold writing: One Good Term Deserves Another.
As it stands, 51-year-old Professor Zulum needs little or no introduction in the current political firmament of Nigeria- he’s rated by analysts as one of the most popular serving Governors.
Just in two years as governor of the troubled North-East State of Borno, the epicenter of Boko Haram insurgency, the fame of the Kanuri-born Governor has transversed the length and breadth of Nigeria. His passion and dexterity to liberate his people from the shackles of hunger and deprivation occasioned by the 11-year-old insurgency have won him accolades from across political divides within the country.
In Northern Nigeria of today, political analysts believe that despite the ongoing Boko Haram merciless attacks, Prof. Zulum is still rated as one of the best performing Governors in terms of project execution in different parts of the state.
At a recent event to mark Democracy Day Celebration in the state, the Commissioner of Information Hon. Babakura Abba Jato announced that the Zulum led administration had put in place 556 human-oriented projects in the last two years.
According to Jato “70% of the 556 projects have been fully completed with many being put into use, while 30% are at various levels of completion in two years.”
One of these projects according to residents is the ongoing construction of a flyover at the Customs area of the metropolis which serves as an international gateway to Chad and Cameroon Republics, when completed, the impactful legacy project is expected to rank among the best ever constructed by a state government, they said.
It was therefore not surprising when President Muhammadu Buhari visited Borno state recently on a one-day working visit where he commissioned projects executed by governor Zulum and showered encomium on him.
” I’m very pleased that Borno State has been endowed with a very active governor. All you need is to try and befriend whoever is selling newspapers in your quarters, and see how the Nigerian press is appreciating him.
“He is always on the move. I have on many occasions had the cause to personally warn him that please don’t overexpose yourself. He is a young man and the way he moves around – including visiting the very dangerous areas where the bandits are, very few Nigerians at any level expose themselves to such dangers .” President Buhari said at the Shehu of Borno Palace last month.
However, Zulum’s quest at enforcing the requisite change in some critical areas in the state public sector is meeting some form of backlash from residents who all the while were soaked in what they considered as the norm -; some of these residents who do not seem ready to accept the new gospel of change as being propagated by Governor Zulum considers the governor’s actions as cruel.
For a state that is bedevilled by the ongoing insurgency which left many governments and private buildings destroyed even after reconstruction of many structures, the containment of the growing number of displaced people amongst other challenges begging for prompt attention, it was therefore not surprising for Prof. Zulum administration to think outside the box and find ways to shore up the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to address myriad problems.
Borno Geographic Information Service (BOGIS) is one of the revenue-generating agencies that commenced operation under the Zulum administration and its currently giving some residents sleepless nights, especially those aversed to change. The agency has continued to mark the houses and businesses’ premises and demanding that levies be paid to government coffers and illegal structures are removed.
The agency which has generated over a billion Naira since inception had in some cases embarked on demolition of illegal structures it claimed does not have government approval; owners of some of these properties have continued to bemoan the Zulum administration.
Furthermore, Tricycle operators in the state had staged a protest over N100 daily charges for all operators. Many of them complain bitterly about why the Zulum administration would introduce such a tax regime that will further impoverish them.
One of the operators of the tricycle popularly referred to as ” Keke Napep” and namesake of the governor, Babagana Ngaurima appealed to the state government to discontinue the daily charges on Keke operators noting that “it’s causing unnecessary hardship on most operators as we have to pay 3000 every month to the state government.”
Analysts are of the opinion Keke operators in the state are a formidable voting block, the majority of these operators are young adults who had adorned their tricycles with the posters of Governor Zulum and campaigned vigorously to ensure his emergence as Governor. Observers say much as the government needs to shore up its revenue generation, the Keke operators should not be frustrated out of their job and swell the growing number of unemployed young people in the state.
But the state Governor doesn’t seem ready to shift ground with his drive for his new tax regime, insisting” all eligible persons must pay tax.”
According to him “some people are not happy because the state government is collecting tax, they complained that their houses have been marked by BOGIS – but some these people pay same tax in Kamo, Kaduna, and Abuja- so why don’t they want to pay land duties in Borno? Is it that these people despise Borno?
“Everyone must pay tax, I’m not doing this for my selfish interest, but for the future of Borno state. If we don’t do what we’re doing now, another Governor could emerge in the future and don’t have enough funds to administer the state; I even pray we get a tougher Governor than myself in the future.” Governor Zulum said at a recent function.
Many residents in the state have realised that Governor Zulum is brutally frank and does not hold back on what he feels strongly about; he airs his views no matter whose ox is gored. His penchant for due process and transparency has endeared him to many Nigerians.
The governor recently accused humanitarian aid workers in the state of lack of transparency in projects execution. He had lambasted some security operatives for collecting bribes on Maiduguri- Damaturu highway, he also made similar remarks recently where he promised to set up a replica of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to fight corruption in the state.
In an open threat to serving Local Government Chairmen, the Governor did not mince words when he announced that the Council officials will be probed after the expiration of their two years tenure.
“I’m monitoring the Local Government Chairmen, be aware that if you have not performed, don’t ever expect that after your two years in office you would be allowed to go scot-free. We must investigate what you’ve done in the last two years and because of this, Borno State will establish its own ICPC,” Governor Zulum said.
However, it’s not clear at this point if Governor Zulum brutal frankness on issues of governance will earn him the endorsement of Borno traditional politicians, some of whom are already beginning to get offended by the Governor’s new policies.
On the political front, there appears to be a slight crack on the wall and if not tackled in good time could degenerate. Already, some top political appointees very close to the Governor feel it’s their turn to run the show without minding the political implications of their actions against other appointees who were brought on board by recommendation of other political heavyweights.
Some political observers say that Zulum must not also make the mistake of yielding to the antics of his kitchen cabinet members, as that may attract the wrath of his political benefactor(s) adding that diverse political considerations may come to play ahead of 2023 State and national elections.
Musa Abdullah is a political analyst and Professor of Criminology at the University of Maiduguri, he backs the governor’s revenue drive saying that is the way to go in all civilised society but, advise the governor to be decisive against sycophants who may want to distract him from continuing with his commitments to the people of Borno state.
“The governor should put on his thinking cap and dislodge any unproductive politician irrespective of his or her political affiliations and work with result-oriented people. He should not give room to unproductive politicians who are close to him as they may distract him from continuing with the good work,” Prof Abdullah said.
Although Governor Zulum has denied nursing the ambition to become Nigeria’s next Vice president should the APC zoned its Presidential ticket to the south ahead of the 2023 presidential election, the campaign posters of former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as Presidential aspirant, and that of Prof. Zulum as his running mate on the platform of APC is visible in many strategic locations in Maiduguri.
This development according to political observers is certainly not going down well with some supporters of APC gladiators within the North East who are allegedly nursing similar ambition.
The Caretaker Chairman of the governing APC and governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, and the former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim who currently represents the people Borno Central at the Senate are the two others names being touted by their supporters as suitable for the position of the next Vice president.
While Buni controls the politics of Yobe state according to political analysts and by virtue of his current position have a great influence on the APC at the National level, Kashim Shettima still has a strong grip on the APC in Borno state even though he still refers to Governor Zulum as his leader. Shettima is said to have a close relationship with former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Leader of the party whose posters for President in 2023 are visible in some parts of the country.
Shettima had in March 2017 as the then Governor of Borno State invited Tinubu to commission development projects where an estate was named after the former Lagos State Governor. Tinubu, in return, did not waste time to commend Shettima for his people-oriented projects.
“I want to express my utmost thanks to you for inviting me to inaugurate this project. I am indeed honoured to be associated with the success story of the state governor,” Tinubu said.
For Zulum, his popularity amongst the Nigerian masses cut across the political, ethnic, and religious divide. Many Nigerians had sung his praises and even wished he was their Governor during the looting of government warehouses after the #EndSARS protests. Prof. Zulum unlike some of his colleagues who keep food under lock and key had embarked on dangerous terrains to personally distribute food and cash to his people at the local government areas.
On at least two occasions, the Governor’s convoy was attacked by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, but that never deterred him from reaching out to his people. Zulum would always tell anyone that cares to listen, “I don’t fear anyone”.
Makinta Zarami is the spokesman of the APC in Borno state, he stated that the Governor always put the interest of his people above any other consideration noting that “the issue of a second term bid for Zulum is a forgone conclusion,” adding that “it’s very difficult to find someone that will take care of our people like Governor Zulum.”
“So far, Zulum has surpassed the expectations of the people of Borno State in terms of project delivery, if Allah destined he will be next Vice President, we will back him wholeheartedly but for now, we want him to continue with a good job to Borno people,” Zarami said.
2023 may seem very far to every other person but not politicians as many of them are in the season of political decisions and strategies. In fact many of them have already started testing the waters! Politicians in Borno State and Governor Zulum are no exception. The question on the lips of observers is: will governor Zulum come out to run largely yielding to popular demand and riding the bumpy road to a home in the Villa should the APC zoned its Presidential ticket to the South? or will he continue as governor for a second term? Time will tell.
