Buhari inaugurates six education, flyover bridge, road projects in Borno

By Tada JUTHA, Maiduguri

President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned six education, flyover bridge and road projects in the Maiduguri metropolis of Borno state.

The projects include the Indimi Centre for Distance Learning (ICDL) and International Conference Centre at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Memorial Day Secondary School, Flyover Bridge and 10-km dual carriageway to Muna community.

The Vice Chancellor of UNIMAID, Prof. Aliyu Shugaba disclosed that the distance learning centre was completed and donated by Alhaji Muhammadu Indimi at N2.5 billion with seating capacity of 1,300.

He added that the centre has two examination halls, 600 VIP seats with 500 KVA standby generator to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

Inaugurating the centre, yesterday at the campus, Buhari said that distance learning has come to the doorsteps of people in communities to acquire higher education.

“This will overcome the challenges of acquiring higher education without being on campuses,: he said,” while the completed flyover bridge and road projects could ease traffic gridlock and commuting of Borno residents.

While lamenting the vandalisation of oil facilities in South-South, he said: “Now that we have discovered oil in the Northeast, its politics may cease in the future.

“The people from the South-South had been vandalizing oil facilities at the expense of using the land and waters for farming and fishing,” noting that while the fishes go further into the ocean.

Speaking on insecurity, he said: “There are security failures everywhere in the country, particularly the North-West region; where the same people and culture steal each other’s property.

“They also kill each other for what?” he asked.

Meanwhile, he further disclosed that the Federal Government has ordered for more aircrafts and helicopters from the U. S, stating that the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers could dealt with.

The President noted that the security situation in the country has improved compared to the heights of terrorism, bandits and kidnappers between 2014 and 2018.

Continued: “What is the security situation when we came compared to what is happening now in the North,” adding that the people from the Northeast know better than anybody about the security situation in Nigeria.

Lamenting the incessant killings, he said: “The Boko Haram terrorists kill people in the market places,” adding that when the insurgents go to motor parks, mosques and churches and say that God is great in Arabic, but God is justice as they cannot kill people; as well as call on God’s name.

He said the terrorists should either plead to what they are doing or they don’t know what they are saying by calling on God’s name.

Responding, Governor Babagana Zulum thanked Buhari for visiting the state twice in six months.

He noted that the President has surpassed the other 35 states on State visits since 1999.

According to him, despite the over a decade of insurgency, UNIMAID has never been closed by any of the former and serving Vice Chancellors, including Prof. Abubakar Njodi, who doubles as the Secretary to the State Government of Gombe State.

Zulum; therefore requested the Federal Government to commence recruitments of Civilian JTF and volunteers into the Nigerian Army.

While Federal Colleges of Education are established in north and south senatorial districts of the state.

He said that Indimi, the donor of distance learning and conference centres at the University, loves the state without limit.

“His generous philanthropy to mankind and humanity has gingered the people for higher education, despite the distance to acquire higher education,” he said.