By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
Former Senate Chief Whip Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has raised the alarm that an acute food crisis is looming in the country with fresh attacks on farmers in most of northern Nigeria.
Ndume, in a statement made available to journalists yesterday in Abuja, also said the insurgents were looting unripe crops from one farm to another.
Therefore, he has appealed to the military under the Theatre Command, North East’ Operation Hadin Kai’, and other security agencies to rise to the occasion.
He urged the military to intensify more efforts geared towards clearing remnants of Boko Haram members still hibernating around Sambisa forests, Mandara Mountains, and other hideouts in border communities within Gwoza and the Republic of Cameroon.
The lawmaker said, “Pockets of attacks recently perpetrated by the terrorists are still posing serious economic setbacks to resilient farmers newly resettled in liberated communities of Ngoshe, Kirawa, Warabe, Wala, Pulka, and even Gwoza town, the Council headquarters.
“The terrorists have resorted to the looting of their immature crops without confrontation. I want to use this medium to appeal to the military and other security agencies to intensify more efforts aimed at clearing remnants of terrorists still hibernating in Sambisa Forests and parts of the Mandara Mountains bordering the Cameroon Republic and Nigeria.”
The former Senate Committee on Army Chairman expressed his deep gratitude to Governor Babagana Zulum for his extraordinary contributions to developing and rebuilding about 10 completely destroyed Gwoza communities.
He also applauded the efforts and sacrifices made by the military in restoring civil authority in the area.
He specifically hailed the military authority’s deployment of a medical doctor who is providing medical services daily free of charge to over 10,000 Ngoshe people and its environs who have since returned to their ancestral homes.
Ndume, who distributed agricultural inputs such as bags of fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, and cash to thousands of people, mostly genuine farmers, including women and youths, and provided solar street lights, had a stopover in the Warabe community.
He inspected the land designated for the construction of 500 housing units to resettle displaced persons of Warabe by Governor Zulum’s rebuilding initiative.
He expressed the community’s continued need for more development.
Ndume said, “Like Oliver Twist, we may ask for more, but to be honest, Zulum has exceeded our expectations.”
The Senator visited families who had recently lost their loved ones, offering comfort and support during these challenging times. A mammoth crowd welcomed him and his entourage in all the communities visited.
Ndume also distributed tricycles and other empowerment materials worth millions of naira to some people across the senatorial district at his Maiduguri residence.
