The newly appointed Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs in Borno state, Hon. Usman Zannah yesterday read a riot act to the staff of his ministry to redouble their efforts by always revisiting all the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and monitor the situation of the victims who were chased out of their local Government areas by dreaded Boko Haram sect.
The commissioner disclosed this after he was handed over the affairs of the ministry by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Enet Mohammed Kois in a colourful ceremony held at the Musa Usman Secretariat complex in Maiduguri.
Zannah said, the lingering crisis of insurgency which has forced over 1 million people from the 22 affected council areas was very worrisome, adding that, the ministry which is directly being affected need to identify with the displaced persons by giving them a sense of belonging and make them feel at home pending when they would go back and resettle in their liberated communities.
” We just visited some IDPs camps this morning with our Governor, Kashim Shettima, and some of the things needed by the victims can be addressed at the ministry level if our staff are always there to monitor the plight of the IDPs, he said.
The commissioner while thanking governor Kashim Shettima for appointing him as Commissioner for the ministry, solicited support and cooperation from all staff, urging them to work as a team and to rebuild Borno, even as he promised that his door will remain open for constructive criticism that will move the state forward.
” I assure you that I will do my best devoid of any tribal, ethnic, religious or political considerations. The lingering crisis of insurgency has led to destruction of many government and public structures such as schools, hospitals, clinics, offices, markets and business centres. It will require billions of naira to rebuild and resettle our destroyed local Government areas, therefore the task is enormous on all of us as government to put hands on deck in order to confront these challenges.
” I was elected as Chairman of Magumeri Local Government area, I was also appointed as Caretaker Chairman for the same local Government for three times, and so, my coming here as Commissioner is like homecoming. I am not new to the system, but most importantly is that, I will not tolerate indiscipline, laziness and above all corruption,” he stated.
Earlier in his welcome address, the permanent Secretary, Mohammed Kois, said, the ministry has 68 staff with 7 departments as well as 6 zonal offices in Biu, Monguno, Bama among others.
He noted that the ministry has recorded tremendous successes in the provision of potable drinking water, irrigation schemes, procurement of many agricultural equipment, electricity supply, construction of thousands of housing estates including befitting lodges/accommodation to emirs and traditional rulers in the state.
He then assured the commissioner that with the cordial relationship that exists among the staff of the ministry and government, they will all give him the necessary support in order to move the state forward.
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