BORNO IN OUR GENERATION II

By

Bashir Maidugu

Some of our people are so easily forgetful that it was the courage, bravery and sacrifice at the risk of the lives of our Governor and many top Government, Party and Non-Government officials, Gallant Volunteers and village informants that enabled the of Borno to be able to achieve the relative peace that we witness today. We cannot accept the disruption of our hard earned stability by some selfish, fraudulent individuals who would want us back to the reign of darkness and terror, which could be worse than the GEJ regime.... shutting down our telephone network, our airport, looted our resources and restricted commerce and businesses in our cities for years making our citizens live from hand to mouth..... for the first time rendering our dignified people once existed as farmers and traders in their villages as beggars all over Nigeria. 

We must not forget the stigma created against us by this tragedy in other communities in this county. Many of our guests who lived here for generations have left.. We are a proud but not hostile people. Before the tragedy, our people hosted strangers in their homes and ate with them freely. Where are these virtues now? 

Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, who as Vice President, before our very eyes, diverted many Zonal offices meant for Maiduguri, the natural capital of the North East, away from the city because of nothing but hatred for our communities. The lists are endless. He will do worse if he ever gets the chance. We will never allow him.

A supposed leader of the North East, having occupied the highest position from the region for Eight uninterrupted years, he has refused to visit Borno to commiserate with our people in all these years of our tragedy. He has not mentored any citizen of Borno. He only visited Maiduguri for one day-wedding events of his bourgeoisie politicians. And yet a few hungry people have the audacity to welcome such a saboteur into our midst? His party stakeholders even engaged in physical combats without decorum among themselves on logistics funds thrown to them by their troubled candidate. He will be a miserable loser, In Shaa Allah in 2023.

Let me say a few things here: there will be no vacancy in Borno Government House and the Aso Rock Villa in Shaa Allah. PDP will be reduced to a very small political party after 2023. Atiku will be retired permanently back to Dubai. And in Shaa Allah, we will witness a period of unprecedented economic growth, prosperity and development. BORNO WILL BE HOME OF PEACE forever again.

MAIDUGURI

11th November, 2022

 MELAYE, PDP AND THE CHALLENGES OF DECENCY.

On PDP's behaviour as an opposition party, we don't expect them to pour accolades on our great candidates. We are actually expecting the worst reaction from them in the history of Nigerian politics. This is informed by the acute phobia of defeat. They are deeply divided, fragmented, frustrated, desperate and therefore can vituperate libelous content. But we won't dignify them with any civil suit. 

Dino Melaye is a  defeated politician, defeated and disgraced in every aspect of politics, defeated into irrelevance and oblivion. He is also currently unemployed and I am truly not sure if he is employable at all, except by someone like Atiku Abubakar, who has himself not improved on his education despite serving as a Douane for 30 years becoming extremely  wealthy. An ex-officer of a revenue generating agency under the Federal Ministry of Finance....involved in so many controversies with his boss who has expressed regret picking him as his running mate in the first  place. He has clearly failed as a Vice President, now re-emerging from his cocoon in Dubai to once again play on our sensibilities and sentiments. No wonder Nyesom Wike discovered his antics early enough.

In his infamous years in the Senate, Dino, was known to have climbed a tree for hours in an attempt to run away from justice. He  dramatised a simple arrest by a law enforcement officer in a live video, absolutely devoid of manners, behaved like a thug in our hallowed legislative chambers, with his horrible voice he dished out obscene videos to the public especially our youths on social media, physically assaulted ladies, glamorised corruption in his attitude to the code of conduct tribunal....totally disgracing himself and his constituency. With his utterances yesterday,  Dino Melaye is not only unfit for any public or even private office, he has exhibited that he is still a huge embarrassment and a disgrace to his family and Nigerians. I am personally offended as citizen of Borno. 

However, the beautiful development is that Nigerians know these political tourists, rogues and fraudsters too well and can never entrust the destiny of our nation and the national treasury to them. They don't depict our cherished values....in any way. I advise those who abhor their shameful behaviours to leave them while there's enough time. PDP will be a very small party after the 2023 elections.

Nigerians also know our revered candidates, as politicians with clear positive records.... Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and  Senator Kashim Shettima. The legacy in Lagos still liveth. While as Governor of Borno State,  Shettima, despite the huge challenges of the Boko Haram terrorists and the disadvantage of a hostile Federal Government was able to inspire our youths to challenge and chase out the terrorists from our cities. Even as a traumatised Chief Executive, he succeeded in ensuring that Borno can be rebuilt despite the damage by the nihilists and the neglect by the PDP led Federal Government. A treasonable behaviour from the Jonathan regime as Borno was abandoned to the insurgents. 

In his second term as Governor and with the advent of a friendlier APC led Federal Government in 215, realising the challenges that faced him, he activated the reconstruction mode and formed a highly dynamic cabinet, created the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement and appointed our current workaholic Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum to over see it.  Shettima introduced dozens of the now famous Mega Schools, acquired over a thousand Tractors and thousands of other Agricultural equipments including water pumping machines, pivot irrigation systems, trained hundreds of Borno citizens abroad in agriculture, medicine and other relevant reconstruction disciplines.

These are the Kashim Shettima legacies in Borno. Professor Babagana Umara Zulum fnse, mni CON is the cap. What are the legacies of Atiku Abubakar and Dino Melaye? 

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are both achievers in their own states and in their own rights. Great thinkers. They converged in the All Progressives Congress Presidential Ticket not by design but by sheer accident of history. Nigerians have a wonderful opportunity to elect them in February 2023.

BASHIR MAIDUGU

ABUJA, 4th November, 2022

THE NIGERIA AIR PROJECT AND THE REALITIES OF OUR

 THE NIGERIA AIR PROJECT AND THE REALITIES OF OUR 

In my very humble view, the Idea of the proposed Air Nigeria is excellent and long overdue. Even if coming so late, I commend the originators of the concept. However the strategy towards its success and sustainability should not include Ethiopian Airlines. This is because Ethiopian Airlines is a great competitor and Ethiopia as a nation considers her world class airline as the life blood of the nation. Truly, it is the pride of Africa. Their perennial ambition is to continue to dominate African Aviation. No wonder that Ethiopia is still promoting the "Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM)", a decision of the African Union in Yamousskro which was rejected as part of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The success of their aviation sector did not happen over night. Despite their numerous challenges especially in terms of resources and their penchant for military adventurism, I sincerely admire them for identifying their priorities and relentlessly pursuing them for decades with focus.....the result is what we have today, Ethiopian Airlines! The airline was far smaller than the defunct Nigeria Airways. I decided to bring this to the public space because I would want this to be on record. 

I suggest the following strategic approach for the success and sustainability of the proposed laudable Nigeria Air.

1. As a first step, advertise worldwide and engage a world class consultant to come up with an end to end solution, (comprehensive feasibility) taking everything into account in our circumstances. No specific consultant should be favoured for this job. (This may have been done already but I don't trust the process).

2. Nigeria is blessed with equally strategic locations that can rival Addis Ababa, Dubai and Cairo. Additional advantages Nigeria enjoys include large population and economy. In that light, the Federal Government should encourage private sector investment in large, world class aircraft maintenance hangers and massive airport terminal which can be done through Public Private Collaboration. These hangers will service the numerous airlines coming and earn foreign exchange for the country and the Airport will become the hub and nucleus of the proposed Nigeria Air. Presently, our domestic carriers conduct their routine maintenance in Addis Ababa. 

3. The private sector should be the drivers of the proposed Nigeria Air. They should be properly organised and well funded with massive war chest for the impending hammer from big airlines. With massive funding, they should be able to absorb the relentless onslaught from the very hostile aviation environment. This is informed by the demise of Ghana Airways, Cameroon Airlines, Nigeria Airways and many other African Airlines as a consequence of fierce competition. South African Airlines and Kenya Airways are presently struggling to survive 

4. All the Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) signed by Nigeria with other countries should be dusted, reviewed and exploited exhaustively.

5. The proposed airline should also place emphasis on Cargo from the onset. Being the largest economy with the largest population in Africa, Nigeria has an edge on this. We should carefully take advantage.

6. A private sector driven Nigeria Air supported by the Federal Government and Nigerians will surely succeed. Like Emirates Airlines, professionals should be engaged to manage it without any interference from any quarters, subject to our laws. 

7. In addition to the massive terminal, aircraft maintenance hangers, fueling facilities and infrastructure should also be constructed in the two potential hubs, Lagos or Abuja. With the right policies and incentives, this can easily be achieved through Public Private Partnerships. Many flights from the middleeast to the Americas, from Southern Africa to Europe will readily stop for refueling in Nigeria if our climate is conducive. For the moment, they either stop for the same purpose in Accra or Dakar. This should reverse as the commercial prospect is massive.

8. The Federal Government should set up aviation and hospitality training institutions to beep up capacity and skills in view of the anticipated upsurge in the sector. The multiplier effect this will create is immeasurable. 

9. The population should be aggressively encouraged to fly Nigeria Air. Staff and consultants of Government ministries and MDAs at the Federal, State and local levels should be mandated to only use the airline where the routes permit. 

It is my sincere hope that the promoters of the wonderful Nigeria Air project will be guided by our national interests as much as commercial realities permit. 

Bashir Maidugu A

buja, 22nd October, 2022.