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Tag: Borno

  • Borno closes down IDP camp, sends 100,000 back home

    Borno closes down IDP camp, sends 100,000 back home

    Uthman Abubakar

    Following reported threats by terrorists to attack Monguno in northern Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum, has announced the closure of the Internally Displaced Persons camps in the Government Senior Science Secondary School, Monguno.

    The closure of the Monguno camp brings to about 13 the IDP camps that the state government has closed since 2018.

    The Monguno IDPs camp, about 120 km from Maiduguri, housed over 100,000 IDPs drawn from parts of Kukawa, Nganzai, Marte and Guzamala LGAs displaced by the Boko Haram insurgents.

    The Reportr Door recent investigations revealed that following a systematic flow of arms and fighters from the Sahel ISIS to lend more strength to ISWAP around the Lake Chad basin, the terrorists have marked Monguno, Marte and Abadan, all in northern Borno, for decisive attacks.

    However, Zulum, apparently satisfied with the level of security and peace restored at some of the communities, said the closure of the Monguno IDPs camp was to pave the way for the rehabilitation of the school to facilitate the resumption of academic activities.

    Muna fire: We slept in open space despite harmattan, IDPs lament
    Zulum was on an inspection visit at the camp to assess the extent of destruction resulting from the Boko Haram attack and the prolonged use by internally displaced persons.

    He stated that the IDPs would be relocated to occupy the 1,000 resettlement houses built in the town for citizens affected by the over one-decade-old Boko Haram insurgency.

    Monguno’s 1,000 houses are part of the housing intervention that forms over 10,000 resettlement houses constructed by Zulum’s administration since 2019.

    The governor also noted that IDPs who were from communities and villages that attained relative peace would be returned, particularly those from Kekeno, Mile 90 and Yoyo, among others.

    “We will return those of you from communities which have attained relative peace, everyone that is willing to return will be provided with a resettlement package to pick up the pieces of their lives,” Zulum said.

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  • Borno emerges best in primary healthcare delivery, wins .2m

    Borno emerges best in primary healthcare delivery, wins $1.2m

    Dirisu Yakubu

    Borno has emerged as the best-performing state in the country on primary healthcare delivery, clinching the sum of $1.2 m.

    Meanwhile, Abia, FCT and others emerged first runner-up and went home with the sum of $400,000 each.

    The flagship programme, a leadership challenge is aimed at revamping the ‘Primary Health Care Under One Roof’ policy in Nigeria through the commitment of State Governors to Primary Healthcare Funding.

    For the feat, Borno State got $700,000 for the emerging best-performing state overall and $500,000 for emerging as the winner in the Northeast in the best-performing zonal awards category.

    The Zonal winners who got $500,000 each, include Kwara, Jigawa, Rivers, Ondo and Ebonyi States for North-Central, North-West, South-South, North-West and South-East respectively.

    The first runner-ups in each zone got $400,000 each and they comprised the  Federal Capital Territory for (North-Central),  Bauchi for North-East, Zamfara for North-West, Abia for South-East, Edo for South-South and Ogun for South-West.

    Speaking at the event, which was held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, a representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Christian Munduate, said 13 states got prices totalling $6.1 million, in recognition and honour of “the exceptional leadership of Governors who have made significant investments in Primary Health Care across the country.

    According to her, the awards carry not only prestige but also huge significance given the positive impact made by the states in the lives of their people.

    She said, “The award came into being in November 2019, when the Nigerian governors were hosted in Seattle by visionaries Bill Gates and Alhaji Aliko Dangote. This historical gathering led to the creation of the primary healthcare leadership challenge.

    “This initiative is organized by the Nigerian Governors Forum, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and UNICEF, with the generous support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Aliko Dangote Foundation.

    “The challenge aimed at enhancing Governors’ commitment to human capital development and primary health care, mobilize state resources, promote accountability and also to innovate for gender-specific health outcomes.”

    On the honours, Munduate added, “These awards highlight the value placed on progress made towards primary health care and will be used by the winning states to further strengthen their existing efforts and initiatives for primary health care.

    “The governors being recognized today have not only excelled but have also become shining examples for others to follow. Their achievements will be celebrated not only through public recognition, but also through personnel commendation by distinguished individuals, such as the Vice President, the Ministry of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Aliko Dangote Foundation.”

    The UNICEF country representative said the vision behind the investment is not unconnected with the need to make primary healthcare accessible to women, girls and children in Nigeria.

    “To improve the leadership oversight management and delivery of essential health services at the sub-national level where there are building blocks for enhancing an overall health outcome.

    “The 36 executive governors of Nigeria, under whose leadership we stand have a unique opportunity to accelerate progress and to create lasting challenges. The primary health care Leadership Challenge awards go beyond monetary values. They motivate governors to increase investments aligned with the ‘Seattle Declaration and the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof Strategy’, while closing the gender gaps and removing barriers in their states.

    Continuing, she said, “It is important to highlight that this leadership challenge fosters strong federal, and state partnerships to drive evidence-based healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes by pooling resources, sharing best practices and overcoming challenges together.

    “I’m sure we can all achieve better health care for all Nigerians. So, as we celebrate the accomplishments of these exceptional leaders, let us remember that their success is not achieved in isolation. It is a testament of the hard work and dedication of countless individuals from healthcare professionals, to community health workers, to community leaders who have worked tirelessly towards the advancement of health.”

    Speaking on behalf of Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum, thanked the challenge partners, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dangote Foundation, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and UNICEF, for the awards and promised to build on the successes already recorded.

    “I want to assure you this award is not only for the winners. It is for all of us so that collectively, we can promote affordable healthcare delivery systems in Nigeria. I want to assure you that we shall do everything possible to promote the health objectives of establishing healthcare primary healthcare in Nigeria, which is to bring healthcare closer to the communities.

    “We shall do everything possible to ensure that the primary health care system is enhanced through effective community participation, effective inter-sectoral coordination, effective appropriate technology and indeed, through support mechanisms to all services.”

     

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  • 46,000 PLWDs, vulnerable persons get free healthcare in Borno

    46,000 PLWDs, vulnerable persons get free healthcare in Borno

    The Borno government says it has enrolled 46,000 vulnerable persons under its free healthcare scheme to enhance quality healthcare delivery in the state.

    This was made known by the Executive Secretary, Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, Dr. Saleh Abba-Kaza, at a news conference on Wednesday in Maiduguri.

    He said the beneficiaries comprised mainly of vulnerable persons, pregnant women, children under the age of five, the poor, People Living with Disabilities, and the aged.

    Dr. Abba-Kaza said the beneficiaries are receiving free medical treatment under the programme in line with the provisions of the National Health Act 2014.

    He said that 183 primary healthcare facilities were accredited to provide services to the beneficiaries, while 13 additional PHCs were awaiting accreditation across 25 local government areas of the state.

    The agency, he said, was geared towards ensuring access to quality, affordable and equitable healthcare services to all through sustainable healthcare financing.

    “To ensure sustainable healthcare financing and free healthcare for the vulnerable people of Borno, the state government offered one per cent of the consolidated revenue of the state and local government council to purchase efficient healthcare services for the vulnerable persons.

    “A take-off grant of N100 million was released to the agency by the state government in April 2020, for the smooth operation of the agency, including to hire a temporary office, purchase of utility vehicle, office infrastructure, ICT and enrolment of the formal sector.

    “So far, BOSCHMA received the sum of N418.9m in 2021; N557m in 2022, and N337m in 2023. Cumulatively; about N1.3bn grant through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.

    “The state has been funding the Zulum-Special Health Intervention Programme (Z-SHIP) for free healthcare to people with special needs,” he said.

    According to him, the agency has concluded plans to enrol 100,000 civil servants into the programme, to tackle the effect of out-of-pocket health financing through sustainable healthcare financing and the creation of a health safety net.

     

    (NAN)

     

  • Nine Borno fishermen injured, 29 killed in Boko Haram attack — Police

    Nine Borno fishermen injured, 29 killed in Boko Haram attack — Police

    The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the killing of 29 fishermen in Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists.

    The attack which took place at Mukdolo village in the Gamborun Ngala area of the state, left nine other fishermen with critical injuries.

    The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Sani Kamilu, who confirmed the report to our correspondent on Friday, said the incident happened on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

    It was reported earlier that dozens of the terrorists riding on motorcycles stormed the field shooting sporadically while they surrounded the rest of the 29 victims at gun points after the nine had escaped with injuries.

    A source told an online platform, Zagazola Makama, that the attackers used fishing nets to wrap the fishermen, tortured and thereafter opened fire on them.

    “They asked them to lay down. Thereafter, they used their fishing net and wrapped it around them before they started torturing them. After they became unconscious, they opened fire at them, killing them instantly,” the source was quoted as saying.

    The bodies of the farmers were later recovered during a search and rescue operation by troops who received the news from victims who fled the attack.

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  • Borno APC, PDP trade blames over thuggery

    Borno APC, PDP trade blames over thuggery

    Six days to the general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party in Borno State has alleged that the All Progressives Congress in the state is instigating thugs to perpetrate violence aimed at disrupting the elections.

    The Legal Adviser, Borno State PDP Gubernatorial and Legislators Campaign Council, Barrister Kashim Haruna, expressed the allegation in a press statement signed by him.

    Haruna alleged that APC had thrown the peace accord signed by all political parties in the state to the winds by instigating thugs to ignite violence aimed at disrupting the forthcoming elections.

    “We wish to bring to the attention of the general public the unfortunate actions of thuggery and violence that are continuously being perpetrated by the APC against the legitimate and peaceful campaigns of the PDP in Borno State.

    “On Sunday, 12th February 2023, the convoy of the PDP comprising the Gubernatorial and other candidates of the party was attacked by sponsored thugs of the APC in Gwange I, II & III wards of Maiduguri, injured many PDP supporters and vandalized an uncountable number of vehicles in the convoy.

    “Equally, on Tuesday, 14th February 2023, the campaign rally of the party was disrupted and attacked by the same sponsored thugs of the APC in Bolori II ward of Maiduguri, as a result of which several party supporters sustained various degrees of injuries and more than 10 vehicles were vandalized by the APC thugs.”

    He also alleged that on Friday, January 27th the PDP campaign rally in Mafa Local Government was attacked by APC thugs.

    “We reported the incident to the police authorities, but no single APC thug was arrested nor prosecuted.

    “We wish to call the attention of the AIG Zone 15, in charge of Borno State Yahaya Abubakar and the new Commissioner of Police posted to Borno State Haruna G. Garba to investigate these crimes and prosecute all the culprits,” he said.

    The APC Legal Adviser, Barrister Baba Zanna, in a swift reaction, however, dismissed the allegations by the opposition party levelled as “baseless, unfounded and far from the truth.”

    He alleged that the PDP in the state is doing everything possible to incite members of the general public against it.

  • Abducted Borno health worker released after 11 months in captivity

    Abducted Borno health worker released after 11 months in captivity

    A principal medical officer, Geidam Bulama, who was abducted 11 months ago by the Islamic State West African Province in Borno State, has regained freedom.

    Bulama was reportedly released in Gubio before he was moved to Maiduguri where he reunited with his family.

    It was not clear if a ransom was paid before his release.

    Bulama was abducted in March 2022, when the insurgents invaded Gubio Local Government Area, about 70 kilometres from Maiduguri, Borno State.

    The insurgents were said to have attacked the town and looted food items and fuel from a humanitarian truck.

    Residents fled for safety during the attack, returning to their homes after the insurgents had withdrawn from the town.

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  • Borno gives free drugs in public hospitals

    Borno gives free drugs in public hospitals

    Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has ordered the state ministry of health to release N300 million worth of drugs and other medical supplies to government hospitals for free administration to patients to ease the hardship they encounter in making payments due to scarcity of new and old naira notes.

    Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Professor Mohammed Alhaji, disclosed this while unveiling the drugs at his ministry’s stores located along Baga road in Maiduguri.

    The supplies included drugs for prevalent illnesses, maternal delivery kits and other medical essentials.

    The commissioner directed medical directors and principal medical officers of public healthcare centres in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere to quickly prepare procedural papers to receive their allocations for immediate deployment of the drugs and other supplies.

    Arab emphasised that the drugs must be given free to patients that have no money at hand or those that have problems in accessing their funds to pay for their service.

    He said officials would rely on patients to be honest because as Zulum noted, “while we know some people may have money and still demand free drugs by pretending they lack funds, we cannot, because of some dishonest people, refuse to help those in need”.

    Arab on behalf of health workers across the state, thanked governor Zulum for once again, coming to the aid of patients at a critical period, a move which he described as humane.

    Medical directors and principal medical officers of public hospitals in their joint response expressed happiness with Governor Zulum’s gesture.

    On their behalf, medical director of the State Specialist Hospital, Dr. Baba Shehu Mohammed, said they were happier than the patients because they normally feel pain seeing patients unable to pay for diagnoses or buy drugs after prescriptions.

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  • Borno opens microfinance banks in LGAs

    Borno opens microfinance banks in LGAs

    To beat the deadline for the stoppage of old naira notes, the Borno State government has established emergency microfinance banks in 25 of the 27 Local Government Areas of the state.

    Governor Babagana Umara Zulum directed the State Ministry of Finance and that of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation to establish the banks in accordance with regulatory procedures.

    Zulum’s directive followed the CBN’s policy on the stoppage of old naira notes amid the absence of banking services across 25 out of Borno’s 27 Local Government Areas due to over 12 years of killings and destructions by Boko Haram insurgents. 

    The governor announced the microfinance measures on Wednesday in Maiduguri during an extraordinary stakeholders meeting which was attended by the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar Garbai Elkanemi, represented by the Waziri of Borno, Mustapha Waziri Muktar.

    Zulum directed that where possible, branches of the microfinance bank should start being established this week in Monguno and Gwoza Local Government Areas.  

    Zulum lamented, “At the moment, we only have two LGAs with banking services and these are Maiduguri and Biu.

    “The distance from most of the local governments to either Maiduguri or Biu is too long.

    He continued, “Despite a great improvement of the security in Borno, there are still challenges for banks to start operations. Banking is a very delicate industry and I am sure none of them is willing to take the risk of establishing branches in our LGAs for now.”

    He said the state government had to, therefore, take the risk of opening branches of the state’s microfinance bank in the 25 local government areas to alleviate the suffering of the people of the state.

    Governor Zulum also directed the Ministry of Finance to immediately come up with a template to organise and ensure people in rural communities deposit their old naira notes before the January 31 deadline.

    He also directed the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation to support mobile telecommunication providers towards improving their network coverage for internet connectivity across all 27 local government areas.

  • NNPC prospects for oil in Niger, Borno –Report

    NNPC prospects for oil in Niger, Borno –Report

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is prospecting for crude oil in more locations across the north, after discovering the commodity in Bauchi and Gombe states.

    NNPC stated that it was currently taking coordinated steps for more frontier exploration in the region, as part of measures to shore up the country’s oil output and reserves.

    The company said this in a document, seen by TheCable, on the frontier exploration services activities of the NNPC from 2020 to 2022.

    The document outlined some prospective states where oil was expected to be discovered by the NNPC to include Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe.

    Beyond the North, the Anambra basin was listed as another area where the NNPC was striving to find more oil.

    Prospecting is the first stage in discovering oil and gas field, under which seismic surveys are carried out

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  • Elections to hold in Borno super camps

    Elections to hold in Borno super camps

    Due to the persisting insecurity in Borno State, the 2023 elections will be conducted in super camps in 19 of the 27 local government areas of the state.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission Resident Electoral Commissioner of the state, Mohammed Ibrahim, announced this at a news conference in Maiduguri on Friday, December 9.

    He defined the super camp as a place where elections could be conducted safely, saying that super camps will be prepared for the purpose before the elections.

    The REC said the residents of all the nine local government areas in northern Borno senatorial zone will cast their votes in super camps as their counterparts in seven of the nine local government areas in the central senatorial zone will do same.

    The residents of three of the nine local government areas in the southern senatorial zone will also exercise their franchise in super camps, Ibrahim announced.

    He said the residents of the remaining eight LGAs, comprising two in the central zone and six in the southern zone will cast their votes in the normal polling arrangement.

    With the commencement of electioneering campaigns, the REC also said, “The commission is monitoring and tracking the campaign finances of parties and candidates.”

    He, however, said the commission could only monitor and track such finances on visual materials used in the campaign, such as billboard ads, car branding and television jingles.

    The REC said Borno State, which has 27 LGAs, three senatorial districts, 10 federal constituencies and 28 state constituencies, has 312 registration areas, 5,071 polling units and 2,514,228 voters as contained in the preliminary register of voters.