Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has asked the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru to facilitate the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
Zulum made this plea during his first courtesy call on the COAS at the Army Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to him, the IDPs need to return to their ancestral homes to enable them have access to their various means of livelihood instead of depending on aids from donor agencies.
The governor who congratulated the COAS on his ‘well-deserved’ appointment, commended the Nigerian Army (NA) for the zeal and commitment towards ending terrorism in the North East and other contemporary security challenges in the country.
While expressing his strong support for the NA, Zulum noted that there was an increase of 25% access to farmlands in the last farming season and requested sustained efforts in order to have an astronomical increase for the coming season.
This he added would help consolidate the peace already achieved and address the root causes of the problem.
Responding, the COAS Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru thanked the Governor for his support to the NA especially in the area of logistics which he said has enhanced NA’s operations in Operation Lafiya Dole as well as the benevolence extended by the Governor to the families of fallen troops.
He assured the Governor of the NA’s determination under his leadership to defeat all adversaries and restore peace in the country.
The COAS further stated that a team comprising principal staff officers at Army Headquarters and Corps Commanders were presently in Maiduguri to assess the needs of the troops with a view to addressing them.
He appealed to the Governor to effect repairs on roads that linked major Local Government Areas in the State to enable troops to carry out their operations with minimum hitches.
The Governor was accompanied on the visit by the immediate past Governor of Borno State and serving Senator, Kashim Shettima, Chairman Senate Committee on Army Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, and Senator Abubakar Kyari among others.
A highlight of the event was the presentation of a plaque to His Excellency Prof Babagana Umara Zulum by the COAS.
