Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has canvassed the need for the federal government to safeguard the critical assets of the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) against being disposed of unjustly.
He made the appeal in a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesman, Dauda Illiya, in Maiduguri.
The governor insisted that some forces were trying to dispose of heavy, serviceable equipment under the guise of scrap metal auctioning.
Mr Zulum said the state government had received reports that some individuals were attempting to remove heavy-duty equipment and strategic assets located at the authority’s headquarters and booster stations across northern Borno.
“It has come to the attention of the Borno State Government that some unscrupulous elements are attempting to cart away the heavy equipment domiciled at the CBDA premises and booster stations across Northern Borno in the name of scrap metal auctioning.
“The Federal Government procured this equipment at a high cost, and it is serviceable. There is no reason whatsoever to auction them, as doing so will decapitate the CBDA and cripple the agricultural value chain in our state,” the governor said.
The Chad Basin Development Authority was established by the federal government to harness the agricultural and water resources of the Lake Chad Basin through irrigation farming, livestock production, water supply and rural development programmes.
Mr Zulum, however, said that the recent reconstitution of the authority’s management by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources was aimed at reviving its mandate and accelerating food security, agricultural development and rural livelihoods across the North-east.
The governor further stated that the assets reportedly being targeted for disposal include irrigation stations, booster plants, drilling machines, electricity-generation facilities, tractors, bulldozers, combine harvesters, pipelines and crop-processing equipment.
According to him, many of the assets remain functional and are essential to the authority’s operations.
“Carting away this equipment, under any guise, will amount to decommissioning them and cannibalising the CBDA,” he said.
Mr Zulum said the move, if allowed to proceed, could undermine ongoing efforts by the federal government to promote food security, agricultural productivity and post-insurgency recovery in the region.
“While the federal government of Nigeria is working assiduously to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency, fast-track the mass resettlement of internally displaced persons and revamp agriculture and rural livelihood, some unscrupulous elements and heartless vendors are working to frustrate the vision of the federal government.
“The people of Borno will not allow any attempt to remove our public assets and collective patrimony,” he said.
The governor also alleged that illegal metal scavenging had become intertwined with insecurity and criminal activities in parts of Borno.
According to him, scrap metal operations have often been exploited by criminal elements operating in fragile and conflict-affected areas.
“There is a strong connection between insurgency, criminality and illegal metal scavenging in Borno State.
“In the context of Borno State, any attempt to allow metal scavenging will not only bolster insurgency and criminality but will also sabotage national defence and security,” he said.
Mr Zulum reiterated that the state government’s policy banning scrap metal activities remained in force and warned against attempts to remove metals and equipment from the state.
“The scrap metals business is usually used by clandestine elements as a decoy to vandalise and sell serviceable equipment and heavy metals in our state.
“We shall never allow any person or group to remove any metal from our state. We are recovering from a decade of insurgency, and we can service and recover our metals to serve as the agricultural and industrial backbone of our dear state,” he said.
The governor appealed to the presidency and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to intervene and prevent the disposal of the authority’s assets.
He also called on security agencies to increase surveillance around facilities belonging to the authority and other strategic public infrastructure across the state.
“Therefore, I call on the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to prevail on the CBDA to shelve the wrongful idea of auctioning equipment, assets and facilities of the authority.
“I also call on our military and law enforcement agencies to be vigilant in the CBDA area of responsibility and the state at large to ensure that our public resources are not compromised or vandalised,” he said.
(NAN)
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