President In Maiduguri Promises $1bn For Boko Hara Victims By Kareem Haruna President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday took his campaign train to the city of Maiduguri, Borno State capital, where he told the electorate that his re-election would, amongst other things, bring about a speedy end to the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency. At the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Shehu Garba El- kanemi, where he went to pay homage, the president told the royal fatherthat his administration would raise one billion dollars to support over one million victims of Boko Haram. He also added that destroyed communities would be rebuilt. He also promised to do everything possible to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls. The president said if given a second chance, he would provide special interventions that would provide job opportunities for the people of the state especially those affected by insurgency. Jonathan, whose aircraft arrived Maiduguri at about 1pm, was received by a mammoth crowd of supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by the minister of Power and Steel, Barrister Muhammed Wakil as well as former governor of Borno State, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff. Vice President Namadi Sambo and the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Ahmed Muazu were conspicuously absent during the visit. Armed soldiers and policemen dotted all nooks and crannies of Maiduguri hours before the arrival of the presidential campaign train. Jonathan said his heart bleeds daily over the misfortune of the people of the Northeast, where Boko Haram insurgents had ruined the area and dislocated its socio-economic fabric. While addressing crowd of supporters at the Ramat Square, the president said Borno State being the largest state in the country by land mass with about 4.1 million population, has a vast land for agriculture which he said if voted in would be harnessed to improve the well-being of the people. According to him “Borno can support the central government in terms of agriculture and we intend to invest in that area to harness that natural resource that will better the lives of the people”. Jonathan said his first priority if re-elected on February 14 would be a total war against Boko Haram insurgents. “We have a commitment to end terrorism in Nigeria”, he said. “We must defeat and bring Boko Haram to an end. Borno people deserve a return of peace; we shall ensure that all our captured territories are reclaimed and all the kidnapped persons, including our daughters, the Chibok girls are rescued safe and alive”. “Boko Haram cannot come and alter the good history of the Borno people; since when I was in form 3 in the secondary school I have been reading about the history of the great Borno people who were known for commerce and horsemanship. Borno people deserve the peace that has eluded them and other parts of the country because of the activities of our common enemies, Boko Haram. “I feel sad each time I hear some unpatriotic people accusing the president or the federal government of being responsible for Boko Haram. It is sad and disturbing because nowhere in the world would a leader bring pain to his people. It is never heard of anywhere. But that will not deter us in our commitment to help our citizens regain peace. “The federal government has special plans to help the people of northeast Nigeria through the provision of potable water, and improved support for our local farmers with soft loans to enhance their businesses. And immediately we recover our captured territories, we will ensure that we give special support for these communities to enable them bounce back. Speaking earlier, the minister of Power and Steel, Barrister Muhammed Wakil, said the mammoth crowd that turned out to welcome the president was the people’s way of saying “thank you” to the number one citizen for approving the construction of 330 KVA substation which is almost at the 95 percent stage of completion; as well as the 150KVA upgrade carried out on the existing Baga substation. Wakil said the mood in Borno State was of support and massive vote for the president in the February 14th election. “Mr President as you can see, this is just less than 30 percent of the total support you enjoy in Borno State, because many of our supporters could not make it to this venue due to the tight security organised for today and many people here had trekked more than 5km to get here”, said the minister. “But be rest assured that come 14th February this year, you will be massively voted here in Borno State because the people love you so much”. Other speakers, including Alhaji Ahmadu Ali, the director- general of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation; Dr Shettima Mustapha, a former Minister of Defence, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and some other local politicians had all condemned those accusing the federal government of being accomplice in the Boko Haram insurgency. According to Ambassador Dauda Danladi, “those accusing the federal government over Boko Haram had no sense of history; we had the conflict of Maitasine in the 80’s and no one accused General Buhari or Alhaji Shehu Shagari. We had other conflicts in this country of equal proportion and no one is accusing Babangida; so why should Boko Haram be different in Jonathan’s administration.” The president had earlier visited the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai ibn Alamin Elkanemi, where he paid homage and made similar promises to the top monarch.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 05:25:20 +0000
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