Support for the Troops
Michael Olugbode writes about the assistance being given to the soldiers battling the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State by the state governor, Kashim Shettima
ne of the ways to motivate a soldier or any security man is to give him the feeling that he will always be cherished in life. Indeed, one of the reasons given why Nigerian soldiers were roundly defeated in the past by the Boko Haram insurgents was lack of motivation.
The stories of deprivation and poor equipment were everywhere. For that reason, many soldiers have fled the battlefield, because they feared they might die without remembrance and support for their families.
Now, the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima is trying hard to give soldiers battling the insurgents in his state some respite.
Shettima continues to ensure that financial support is giving to the soldiers to meet their daily needs.
And for the families of soldies who have been killed in the battle against the insurgents, he recently dolled out huge sums of money that he called a token of a million naira. He did the same to those who suffered injuries.
This gesture was not only to the military but other security agents, even members of the youth vigilante group, popularly called Civilian JTF were not discriminated against.
Recently the governor raised the bar for those he described as the heroes of liberation.
He announced that he will in the coming days, lay the foundation for the construction of over four hundred houses in an estate to be called 'Borno Heroes Estate' that will be allocated to survivors of soldiers, policemen, men of the Department of State Security Service, Immigration, Customs and youth volunteers killed in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram insurgents across Borno State.
Shettima said though he had built many houses, but feels the push to build a community (Housing Estate) to resettle families of “our soldiers, policemen, the DSS and youth volunteers called the civilian JTF whose bread winners gave their lives to Borno.”
The governor who took the occasion of the unveiling of 432 units of two bedroom flats estate named "Yerwa Peace Estate”, which were allocated to residents of Bulabulin-Ngarnam, a community in Maiduguri that used to be an enclave of the Boko Haram insurgents to promise the families of the fallen soldiers said their efforts cannot be forgotten.
Bulabulin-Ngarnam, was used by Boko Haram as its coordinating headquarters after the sect dislodged citizens and took over the houses, built tunnels and punched holes on the walls and fences to connect dozens of houses after attacking citizens and security agencies. The sect also had an underground armoury there and kept explosives and rifles in many homes before they were dislodged by the military in 2013 and houses being used by them shelled by the military.
The Borno State Government built 432 houses to resettle some families whose houses seized by Boko Haram insurgents were destroyed during military operations.
He said: “We are gathered here today because some soldiers, policemen, DSS and Civilian JTF fought Boko Haram and in the process laid down their lives so we all come gather on a day like this, without fear that insurgents occupy Bulabulin-Ngarnam. People gave their lives so we can have peace. The least we can do is to assist their survivors and immortalize them.
“Starting from next week, we are going to build an estate like this which we shall call ‘Borno Heroes Estate’. Houses in that estate will after thorough considerations be allocated to families of soldiers, policemen, DSS, Immigration, Customs and the Civilian JTF, who are found to be in need of shelter and who are desirous of living in Maiduguri. We won’t care about the fact some of our fallen heroes in the military and other security agencies were employees of the Federal Government just we will not care about their State of origin, after all; they served and died for Borno. Once a family is in need and want to live in Maiduguri, they should be entitled so long as their bread winner fought and died for Borno. We will however place emphasis on those that went to battle fronts, died and left behind children and other helpless dependants.
“In addition to that, the estate will have a primary and secondary school so that orphans left by BORNO HEROES can have access to free and quality education at their door steps because their fathers made the highest sacrifices for Borno.”
He added that: “It is my wish to lay the foundation of that project by the next couple of weeks so that we accord the project the same commitment that we gave this estate we are about to commission. It is also my wish to have the estate commissioned on October 1, 2015 when our dear country will be marking its 55th Independence anniversary."
The governor further said: "You all may recall, that over time, we have built hundreds of houses in places like Bama, Konduga, Gwoza, Yoyo in Monguno, some parts of Hawul, Kaga and many others, to resettle victims of insurgency attacks and we had rebuilt schools, markets and hospitals that were destroyed before over twenty local government areas were taken and occupied by insurgents. Thankfully, many of the local governments have been recovered, what is left is mop up going on before we commence evaluation, reconstruction, rehabilitation of victims and their reintegration back to communities when we are certain that the communities are safe.
Shettima explained that he feels so pained over the serial attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, noting that he was not happy even while unveiling the laudable project because the gathering was meant to recall one of many impacts of Boko Haram attacks on innocent citizens in the State.
The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi said during the commissioning that he never knew what Borno would have become given the security challenges, if it had not gotten a focused and large hearted governor like Shettima.
The Shehu, who is also the Chairman of Borno State Council of Chiefs, described the governor as one of Borno's living legends who came at the right time. He pledged support for the government and urged his subjects to continue to support the governor and his numerous programmes.
Some of the wives of soldiers in town who spoke anonymously asked the federal government to take a lesson from Borno state governor and his amiable governor who seems to know the worth of a soldiers and security personnel who laid down their lives for all to live safely in peace.
To the serving soldiers in the state who equally spoke anonymously said when you are on a battle ground and you think that your family if you are killed would not be thrown onto the streets and your children will have the benefits of achieving what you planned that they should achieve, then you will fight without fear with your whole heart and win battle for your beloved country.