B/Haram: Borno gov to get outreach office in Auno
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved the setting up an office at Auno village as a temporary relocation in order to check attacks on the community by Boko Haram militants.
He gave the directive for the building of the outreach office during an assessment tour of ongoing projects in the village yesterday.
Zulum, who currently operates two offices at the Government House and the State Secretariat, promised to use the office regularly when completed.
Auno, a small town in Konduga Local Government Area of the state along the Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway, had been repeatedly attacked by the militants.
It would be recalled that in February, it came under heavy attack from Boko Haram, leading to the death of 30 passengers.
As a result of the series of attacks, many residents have fled to Maiduguri, the state capital.
Our correspondent gathered that the governor’s community outreach office at Auno is meant to attract increased security and rebuild public confidence.
According to him, Auno is a strategic town but due to the lingering insecurity, most of the people have relocated to Maiduguri.
“Auno is only six kilometers away from the Borno State university, dislodging Auno would mean dislodging Maiduguri which has more than half the population of Borno. We have to take measures to secure Auno like we should do for all parts of the state. I am establishing a community outreach that will be used by me and I will be regular here,” Zulum said.
The governor while addressing a very few people left in the town directed the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement to immediately provide food items and cash to those currently living in the town.
“While fighting against COVID-19, we have to be very careful of other sectors, Auno is an agrarian community, and it is now rainy season, people need to go back to their farmlands. Most of the people in Maiduguri used to farm in Auno, it is therefore, imperative on us to focus more on Auno in terms of security provisions.”
Among the projects the governor assessed were two 500-housing units - one in Auno and the other in neighbouring Njimtilo village also located along the Maiduguri/Damaturu highway.