By Gbenga Akingbule
15-year-old Maryam Mohammed Ali’s lifetime ambition is to become a medical doctor where she can utilise her expertise to give care to her community in Baga, a town located on the fringes of Lake Chad Basin that had suffered attacks by notorious Boko Haram Insurgents.
Gatekeepers News reports that Boko Haram which is loosely translated in the Hausa language to mean- Western Education is forbidden, almost succeeded in making Ali give up on her dream when the terrorist group invaded Baga town in Kukawa Local government Council of Borno State.
Ali, like many other students, couldn’t go to school as the Insurgents had targeted schools, Teachers, Markets, and Community leaders amongst others. It was a dire situation at the time as residents fled the town to anywhere they could get safety.
But the situation is fast changing, there’s already a silver lining for Ali and other students in Baga and other parts of Borno State- the opportunity to acquire a Western education.
For now, Ali is back to school and she is currently in Junior School School III (JSS3) at Baga Junior Day Secondary School. Her hope of becoming a medical doctor is renewed following the exploits of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) Operation Lake Sanity 2 to keep the terrorists at bay.
“I’m happy to be back to school, attacks by the Boko Haram terrorists can not kill my dream of becoming a medical doctor in the future.
“The Military is our lifesaver and is also keeping our dreams alive,” Ali said on Tuesday during an interview.
Jafar Abdullahi, Yagana Unaru and Hassan Garba are all students of the same school as Ali. They all have different ambitions to be good citizens and contribute positively to their communities in the future after gaining Western education alongside their Quranic education.
The students who were visibly happy learning under a peaceful atmosphere all took turns to commend the efforts of the MNJTF for restoring civil authority to their communities.
Aside from the students, teachers who had also been targets of the Boko Haram terrorists where many of them had paid the supreme price while transferring knowledge are not bowing to fear of Boko Haram terrorist attacks.
Hadiza Mohammed, a teacher in Ali’s School says the fear of terrorist attacking their school like they did to other schools in the past does not exist anymore. She revealed that teachers like her and many others have continued to carry out their duties unhindered.
“I’m happy to see the joint security operatives guarding our town and villages. Teachers like me are confident to go about transferring knowledge to Baga students without fear of attack by Boko Haram terrorists,” Mohammed said.
Apart from the conducive atmosphere created by the presence of MNJTF and other security agencies to keep the peace in Baga and other parts of the Local Government Council and make learning possible for students, other socio-economic activities are also breathing fresh air.
The popular Baga fish market is gradually picking up, the hospital and Police Station are functioning while farmers in the agrarian community are seen cultivating their farmlands.
Community leaders led by the District Head, Zanna Arjnona and residents doff their caps for the non-kinetic approach employed by the MNJTF at managing the over 14-year-old insurgency through interventions in schools, hospitals and support to farmers.
“We are greatful to the MNJTF for the many intervention projects and for defending our communities,” Arjinoma said.
