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IN Nigeria, some governors are born great, presiding over states sorrounded by wealth; others achieve greatness, turning around the fortunes of a people long suppressed; and others have greatness literally thrust upon them, profiting from the labours of great predecessors. In a clime where governance and bad debts are routine, certain governors leave behind hefty coffers (Umaru Yar’Adua, Peter Obi). And certain governors devour everything in sight. For three years, the Borno State governor, 53-year-old Babagana Umara Zulum, has been busy doing the work of a builder amid chaos. Unlike some of his colleagues, Zulum lives literally amid danger, and his people know the sounds of bullets and bombs like herdsmen know their cattle. Because of the terror outfit Boko Haram, danger is present everywhere you turn, and countless lives have been ruined beyond redemption. And so, unlike many of his colleagues, he cannot afford to tour the globe holding consultation meetings: he must always be present with his team to confront the carnage that threatens to take out an entire civilisation. Today’s Borno is not the Bornu of the El-Kanemi footballing days when life was peaceful: it is a theatre of war and slumber is passport to hell. His case is just like the Bard of Avon recognised: “That’s a valiant flea that dares eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.”
The fixation with Borno is not just because he is an agricultural engineer–Zulum holds first and second degrees in agriculture engineering and a PhD in soil and water engineering– it seems to be the case that the ex-civil servant, senior field overseer and principal water engineer who in the year 2000 took up a lecturing job at the University of Maiduguri as an assistant Lecturer and rose to the rank of professor before serving as the rector of a polytechnic just cannot bear to “abandon” his people. He said that much in May this year in response to the clamours for him to join the market of 2023 vice presidency: “Only at the weekend, more than 30 youths were killed around Kala-Balge. This should remind us of the reality of our problems and the need to deliberately unite ourselves towards the recovery, stability and prosperity of our dear Borno State…. I have asked myself that should I get the opportunity to become VP and raise my political profile, what happens to all our ongoing works for the people of Borno State? We have built more than 10, 000 house and currently more of such and reconstructing existing ones, for ongoing resettlement of our people. We have resettled more than 20 communities so far. Yet, thousands of our fellow citizens are still homeless and in desperate need of food, water and healthcare. We have adopted a development plan that we are already implementing.” And so Zulum will be staying in Maiduguri, a survivor of wars and assination attempts.
Among many other lucky escapes, Zulum survived when his convoy was attacked on the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway by Boko Haram terrorists on July 29, 2020. Five people were killed, including three policemen. The story was the same on September 26 of the same year when Boko Haram sought to transport him to Hades near Lake Chad, mowing down at least 30 people, including policemen and soldiers .Three days later, Zulum survived yeat another ploy by the outlaws: his security aides reportedly noticed a donkey on the road and shot at it. The terrorists then came out of hiding and engaged his men. That was not all. In November 2020, Boko Haram ambushed Zulum on his way to meet with government officials in Baga. Seven soldiers and two civilians lost their lives. Zulum apparently feels that “the valiant never taste of death but once.” He exudes strength where the battle is hard, and will probably go down as one of the most courageous and most cerebral governors ever thrust upon the Nigerian landscape.
It seems to be the case that everywhere Zulum turns, his people beam with smiles. Less than 24 hours after his visit to last Friday, the Umaru Shehu Ultra-modern Hospital located around Bulumkutu axis in Maiduguri had a solar system installed as an alternative source of power. It was an impromptu visit, and the governor saw the pains of patients. The hospital was enveloped in thick darkness, and had been for many days. Since Boko Haram destroyed electricity equipment along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, hospitals have had to rely on generators, and Zulum’s enquiries showed that there were no technical problems with the generators.“It is very unfortunate that no official either from the Hospital Management Board or the Ministry of Health drew my attention to this outage. If we can power our streetlights constantly, I see no reason why we cannot power our hospitals,” Zulum reportedly lamented as he consoled patients and their loved ones. He then directed that the diesel meant to power generators at the Government House be immediately transferred to the affected hospitals, including the Fatima Ali Sheriff Maternity Hospital where an upgrade of existing solar-powered installations is ongoing.
This week, as he presented a budget of N234,831,950,000.00 for 2023 Budget of Continuity for Sustainability, Zulum said night trips, hitherto suspended due to insecurity, would begin next year. He had recently reopened the Gamboru International Cattle Market located at a border town in Ngala local government area of Borno Central. He was in company with the Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion, Nigeria Army, Lt. Col. Tolu Adedokun, and the chairman of Ngala local government area, Hon. Mala Tijjani, and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian military, the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other paramilitary security agencies for liberating and securing many parts of Borno State, which made it possible for the market to be reopened. The market had been closed for about seven years as a result of Boko Haram terrorism, but calm has returned in recent weeks as the Zulum administration seeks to restore normalcy after years of war.
Naturally, the situation in the state has often pitted the Borno governor against certain vested interests. For instance, a group called the North East Peace Assembly (NEPA) took him on for saying that soldiers in the war front had seized farmlands and fishing rivers from locals and converted same for personal farming and fishing activities. That was during the tenure of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai as Army chief. In a statement signed by the group’s leader, Mallam Musa Babangida, the group sensationally claimed that the governor was fast “carving a niche for himself as an astute fabricator/inventor of sensational fake news”. But Zulum has tended to enjoy the confidence of Nigerians who feel that military operations in the North-East have not been stellar. And, what is more, the optics around the Borno governor seem to be positive. In just one year in office, he was credited with undertaking 326 capital projects.
In February 2020, the president of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Borno State named his baby after Zulum. Said the Igbo leader: “Governor Zulum is a full-time detribalised leader. In virtually all his programmes, Igbos are given massive consideration. In fact, he’s the first governor of Borno that appointed a Christian as Head of Service and gave them so many key offices in the cabinet.” In February 2021, Zulum approved the payment of N13.9 million, together with a car gift, to a 65-year-old medical doctor from Ogun State, Isa Akinbode, who had lived within the General Hospital in Monguno and continued to offer healthcare services to patients even when the town was faced with the most severe threats. A graduate of the University of Maiduguri, Akinbode had served in the Borno State Civil Service for 22 years before he retiring in 2016 at Monguno General Hospital. In February 2020, Zulum gave a cash reward and accelerated promotion to one Mrs Obiagelli Mazi, an Abia State-born teacher woman who had served in the state for 31 years. He had, during an outing at 6:30 am on Friday to assess facilities at Shehu Sanda Kyarimi Primary school under Jere local government, found Mrs Obiagelli already waiting for her pupils. The governor gave her N100,000, then rolled out an executive order promoting her from class teacher to assistant headmistress.
The governor said: “Although it was very early, I met none of the teachers and their pupils on the ground but only her. Her gender, tribe, religion or state of origin does not surprise me but her passion, enthusiasm, dedication, commitment and above all patriotism do surprise me a lot. As a government, we are mightily proud of her!”
With such optics, it might be difficult trying to robe the Borno governor in the garb of a villain. And if he gets the required support and the tempo of peace maintained in Borno State, it will be great news for Nigeria as a whole.
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