Governor Kashim Shettima says there is no Christmas and New Year gift to the people of Borno State better than the fall of the Sambisa forest, the stronghold of the Boko Haram insurgents.
The Governor described year 2016 as one that witnessed a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against the terrorists.
He added that the year was so far his best in the last five years since he assumed office on May 29, 2011.
Governor Shettima made the remarks at a mini ceremony hosted by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, on Christmas day in Borno State, northeast Nigeria.
The event was organised to officially reopen the Maiduguri-Gubio-Kareto-Damasak road and Maiduguri-Monguno-Baga road leading to the northern axis of the state.
Nigeria’s Year Of Victory
“Since I became the Governor of Borno State in over five years, this is the best Christmas season I have witnessed. This is the best December I have witnessed and the year 2016 is my best year so far as Governor of Borno State.
“2016 is for me, Nigeria’s year of victory and Borno’s year of hope and resurrection. It is in this 2016 that we began to have access to major towns like Gwoza, Bama, Dikwa, Monguno and Damasak, following their liberation by our gallant armed forces.
“It is in the year 2016 that major highways began to be reopened. It is in the year, 2016 that we accelerated our major reconstruction of liberated communities.
“It is in the year 2016 that the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) began to return to communities; it is in the year 2016 that we recovered some of our daughters abducted at the Government Secondary School, Chibok in 2014 and fellow Nigerians, it is in the year 2016 that the Federal Republic of Nigeria established it’s supremacy over the Sambisa headquarters of the Boko Haram.
“For Government and the good people of Borno State, there is no better Christmas and New Year gift that is more precious than the conquering of Sambisa forest by our sufficient military” Shettima said.
The Governor also said the two roads reopened have significant economic benefits to the people of the state.
“This is an important economic road through which hundreds of trailers convey agricultural produce from farming communities in northern Borno to markets in different parts of Borno State. We are extremely happy to have this road added to the list of other major roads reopened earlier in 2016,” he added.
Inducement Of Soldiers
On his part, General Buratai cautioned against extortion of motorists who would ply the road and also advised against inducement of soldiers, maintaining that the troops were well taken care of by the Army command.
The two major roads reopened were earlier closed by the military, following the activities of Boko Haram terrorists since 2014.
The insurgents had taken over population centres of most local government areas along the two major roads including Damasak, Malam-Fatori, Baga, Mobbar, Marte and other communities.
However, all of these roads have been liberated by the military with the last being Malam-Fatori, where Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali was killed.
