Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state has said that 556 capital projects were embarked in the education, health, housing and infrastructure sectors in two years According to him, out of the earmarked projects, 70% of them have been completed, while 30% are at various stages of completion. Zulum in state-wide broadcast Saturday in Maiduguri to mark Democracy Day and two years anniversary; disclosed that the completion of capital projects were executed with the shared commitments and support of the people. In a breakdown of projects, he said: “Our projects, executed with your support, include 194 capital projects on education,” stating that it comprises the rehabilitation and completion of mega Technical Colleges and primary schools in various communities.
On completed projects on governance, he said: “We have 63 each of capital projects on governance and roads to develop the rural and urban centers.” He said that 59 capital projects are being delivered in the water and environment sectors to improve personal hygiene in communities. “We’re delivering 58 capital projects in the health sector by establishing 74 primary health centres in each of the 25 Local Government Areas,” he said, noting that eight General Hospitals in five LGAs were also rehabilitated. Continuing, he said: “We’ve undertaken 53 capital projects on Reconstruction Rehabilitation and Resettlement which involve estates combining over 6,000 resettlement houses for IDPs and refugees in 15 towns.” He said President Muhammadu Buhari has also approved 10,000 resettlement houses in the state. According to him, a higher number of the houses have been completed with others at various stages of completion. “There are 28 capital projects on job creation,” he said; adding that they include youth empowerment and humanitarian support and vocational training centres with 14 workshops. He said the centre was to scale up the capacity development of 1,500 trainees each year.
“We are undertaking other social protection interventions which cost money,” he said, noting that the state government pays workers’ salaries and pension regularly. He said the downsizing of the workforce was to cope with payments of salaries and pensions. “We cannot afford mass retrenchment of workers,” he said, warning that there are potential social implications of such actions. Besides, he added that massive retrenchment of workers has devastating multiplying effects on dependents and other family members. He noted that regular payments of salaries and pension enhances the local economy of the state, as traders rely on their sales to survive in business. He said the state government is to employ more workers, as 800 doctors, nurses and midwives were trained and employed last January. On job creation, he said: “We’re reviving the dormant industries to become more productive and competitive in the industrial sector. “We’re also the youths to become more employable,” by awarding 20,000 of scholarships for specialized courses abroad and all other programmes in Nigeria. “We paid tuition fees for over 3,000 pioneer students for Borno State University (BSU),” adding that the government is supporting parents by paying students’ fees for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).
