Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, has directed newly appointed caretaker chairmen in the state to commence administrative activities in reconstructed secretariats and temporary secretariats in 24 out of the 27 local government areas across the State. Three remaining local government areas are to operate ‘satellite secretariats’ within IDP camps in Maiduguri. The move, Shettima said, is to lay foundation for the return of civil authority in local government areas of the State as a Post insurgency response.
The Governor gave series of directives on Friday shortly after caretaker chairmen for the 27 local government areas were sworn in for a term of six months at a mini-ceremony held at the multi purpose hall of the Government House in Maiduguri.
“Chairmen of the following local government areas should immediately work with His Excellency, the Deputy Governor, Commissioner of Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement and our security establishments to start operating either from their reconstructed council secretariats or to set up satellite secretariats in any vacant public infrastructure or at any IDP camp with the highest population of citizens at the headquarters of their respective local government areas. Secretariats, whether at permanent or satellite locations, must be fully functional with chairmen and council officials operating from there and readily available and accessible to the people they are appointed to serve.
The 20 affected local government areas are to operate from reconstructed or satellite secretariats at their headquarters. They are: Kaga, Jere,Damboa, Konduga, Monguno, Askira Uba, Chibok, Ngala, Kala-Balge,Mafa, Nganzai, Dikwa, Gubio, Magumeri, Biu, Shani, Bayo, Hawul, Kwaya Kusar and of course, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council” Shettima said.
The Governor also listed four local government areas which are to operate two secretariats each.
“The following local government areas are to operate two satellite secretariats with each secretariat having senior and important local government officials stationed there, while chairmen must rotate their presence in between the two secretariats. These local government areas are: Bama, which should have satellite secretariats in Bama town and one in Maiduguri in order to serve nearly 30,000 citizens at the IDP camp in Bama and the hundreds of thousands citizens living at IDP camps and host communities in Maiduguri. The Chairman must operate in Bama town. Marte should operate two satellite camps, one in Maiduguri and the other in Monguno where there are many citizens of Marte living in camps. The Chairman must operate in Monguno. Gwoza should also operate two satellite camps, one in Pulka which currently has the highest amount of Gwoza citizens back to their communities and the other satellite secretariat should be in Gwoza town. The Chairman should operate from Gwoza. Kukawa is to operate two satellite camps, one in Baga which has high amount of citizens and another one in Monguno to serve other citizens living in Maiduguri” he explained.
The Governor directed the opening of satellite secretariats to be stationed within IDP camps in Maiduguri for use by Abadam, Mobbar and Guzamala local government areas “due to military operations around their headquarters”.
Governor Shettima explained that gone are the days when chairmen of local government areas sit in Maiduguri to operate from their rented homes noting that now that citizens live in most of the local government areas as a result of military success, there has to be a new system in place.
“I suppose some people maybe wondering why I have issued directive for Bama, Gwoza, Kukawa and Marte to operate two satellite secretariats instead of just asking them to operate in their headquarters alone. The reason they have to open secretariat in Maiduguri is because this time around, we are putting chairmen and officials of local government areas as supervisors of the Education, Healthcare and general welfare of their citizens especially those at IDP camps. We will not have good reasons to hold chairmen accountable if we send them to their council headquarters only whereas they have majority of their citizens in Maiduguri.
”I will hold chairmen responsible if I hear any complaints whether of shortage or lack of food, water, access to primary healthcare or absence of teachers at any IDP camp unless it is evident that chairmen made frantic efforts to bring such cases to the notice of appropriate authorities and in which case, the right persons will be held accountable.’
”Chairmen must therefore come up with roasters that would ensure deployments of their officials to all IDP camps on rotational basis and whoever’s turn it is, must be stationed at the camp.
”I expect to see officials of local government areas spending the night at IDP camps if for nothing else, to supervise the welfare of their people and to help them in their healing process and to give confidence to them. It is a must that at all times, there must be at least one or two officials of local government at every camp which has citizens of respective local government areas.
”Immediately after this swearing in, His Excellency, the Deputy Governor should meet with all the caretaker chairmen and the Commissioners of Local Government, Health, Education, Reconstruction and Justice to come up with modalities for opening of secretariats as directed and to come up with clear steps through which education and health workers must be made to provide services to citizens of their respective local government areas particularly those in IDP camps.
”Teachers must be fully supervised to ensure good education across IDP camps and headquarters of LGS where citizens live at the moment, while health workers must provide medical services. The Ministries of Local Government, Education and Health as well as chairmen must supervise and ensure that these directives are carried out fully. I will hold the Commissioners and Chairmen fully responsible in the event of any failure.
”Let me at this point put all chairmen on notice, that I can visit any IDP camp within Maiduguri and at any camp and community at headquarters of any of our 27 local government areas at any point in time. I will deliberately organize my visit in such a way that not even my security details will have the slightest prior knowledge of my intention. During my visit, I expect to see functional local government secretariats, be they permanent or satellite. I expect to see important officials on ground who can make things happen not toothless officials,” the Governor said.
The Governor had earlier said that Friday’s swearing in of chairmen was the first time he was sincerely happy since 2017.
“Let me start by making a confession this morning, that whereas I had tried to maintain smiles and wear cheerful faces every time caretaker chairmen of the 27 local government areas were being sworn-in like we did a while ago, today is the very first time since 2014, that I am happy from the outside and inside of me, while presiding over the swearing-in of caretaker chairmen of the 27 local government areas in Borno State. Within the last two years and half, I had been crying in the inside but radiant on the outside mainly to give hope in the middle of our previous moments of hopelessness. I tried to wear a face of strength so that as a leader, I do not dampen the spirit of our courageous citizens.
”Trying times like we have had in Borno State, require that a leader demonstrates strength that would inspire followers to see our situation as near normal and to be ready to stand against the fears and threats that tried to defeat us. That was essentially the reason I often smiled in the midst of our tribulations.
”Today, however, I am excited from the outside down to the inside of me. I am excited because as far as I am concerned, for the first time in nearly 3 years, we have just sworn-in chairmen that will serve as bridges between our recovery and the return of civil authority in majority of our local government areas that were hitherto under the sovereign occupation of the murderous Boko Haram insurgents. Unlike the past when we swore in chairmen knowing most of them were going to operate from different parts of Maiduguri; this time around, we expect most of our local government chairmen to operate in the headquarters of their respective local government areas that are considered safe, where in fact, citizens are already living within communities or at Internally Displaced Persons camps” he noted.
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