By Gbenga Akingbule
Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, on Tuesday, vowed to continue appealing to the Federal Government to liberate his Council Area from Boko Haram occupation.
Gatekeepers News reports that Guzamala Local Council where the Speaker hails from is more than three times bigger than Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in terms of land mass and has been under the occupation of Boko Haram Terrorists for more than 10 years.
To salvage the situation, Lawan is calling for the immediate establishment of a Military Brigade in his Council Area. This move according to Lawan aims to leverage the military’s substantial troops presence to decisively combat and dismantle the terrorist group.
Lawan made the renewed appeal while briefing journalists in Maiduguri a day after the Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum signed the N615.857 billion Appropriation Law.
According to Lawan, “I’m appealing to the Federal Government and the Nigerian Military to immediately establish a Brigade in Guzamala, as this is the only way that can fast-track return of IDPs back to their ancestral homes.
“At the moment, there’s no form of security presence in Guzamala. My constituents have been living in IDP camps and host communities for over 10 years now. I want the federal government to act fast and liberate my constituency,” Lawan said.
The Speaker revealed that rampaging Boko Haram Terrorist had late last year attacked and sacked residents of Mairari- one of the villages under Guzamala where Governor Babagana Zulum returned some of the IDPs
He commended Governor Zulum for making frantic efforts at returning IDPs Guzamala but stated the governor “is not in control of the military and as such has limitations in his quest to return my people to their ancestral homes.”
The Speaker also gave reasons why the state assembly jacked up the state 2025 appropriation bill with over N 30 billion saying there was the need to raise budgetary allocations to some key sectors.
He stated that the increase followed a thorough review by the Assembly’s Appropriation Committee in collaboration with other Standing Committees. It became necessary to allocate additional funds to critical areas that were overlooked in the initial budget proposal,” Lawan said.
“The Ministry of Health received an additional N7 billion to improve healthcare delivery in the state, particularly to equip the newly constructed Borno State Teaching Hospital and operationalize newly built health centres across local government areas.
“The allocation of N5 billion to the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Youth Development became paramount given the economic challenges, stressing that the funds were critical for tackling poverty exacerbated by years of insecurity in the state.
“Borno State has faced severe poverty challenges due to insecurity. The increased allocation will support programs aimed at creating sustainable livelihoods and empowering citizens, especially youth,” he said.
“The Security Trust Fund, which plays a pivotal role in addressing the state’s insecurity, received an additional N5 billion to enhance its operations while the SSG’s office and Intergovernmental Affairs also received a substantive amount of allocation.
“The Security Trust Fund supports logistics for the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), vigilantes, and other security agencies. The funds will boost efforts to ensure peace and stability by providing vehicles, fuel, and other operational needs,” the Speaker said.
