Residents of communities around Northern Borno have expressed worries over the nature of their representations by lawmakers from the zone.
According to them, with one senator, three members of the green chamber and nine members of the State Assembly, it is believed that their cry for liberation would have made President Buhari to sit up on the issue of constant attack in the area by elements of Boko Haram and break away Islamic State for West African Province, ISWAP.
“The people representing us are not doing anything but warming benches and fighting themselves over who becomes senator or who remains in his position as senator. The political crises between our member, Barrister Mohammed Monguno and Senator Abubakar Kyari has deepened and the rest of the members are either on Kyari or Monguno’s side, leaving the people to bleed from attacks and lack of democratic attention,” Goni Mintar, a resident of Damasak told The Tide source in a chat in Maiduguri.
Another resident, Usman Kyari said, the distance between Maiduguri and Monguno is about 200 kilometres and to journey along that route on a normal day, takes three to four hours. But with the insecurity situation, it takes a whole day sometimes and especially when there is an attack.
“ Boko Haram attack almost on a daily basis. They would kill or abduct innocent travelers and go unchallenged. This has become so worrisome especially to those plying the road on a daily basis to seek for means of living through this deadly voyage.
“You may recall that, it was on the same road that the five humanitarian workers were abducted and later executed by their abductors. There are many incidents that have not been reported, cases of attacks and abduction,” Kyari said.
Alhaji Sani Umaru Monguno, who is a trader along the Maiduguri/ Monguno road also told our source that, he pays two hundred (N200) Naira to security agents whenever he comes in and out of Maiduguri.
According to him, “One must pay N200 to N500 to some officers at the entrance to Maiduguri when returning home.”
The residents observed that, during the recent nomination and selection of Chairmanship and Councillorship position for the local government elections, their representatives from the Senate, House of Representatives and State Assembly held series of meetings just to have their interests in place.
“If those kinds of meetings were held in respect of the constant attacks or for something to ease the suffering of the people they are representing, in the interest of the people, then all these issues of fear of plying the Maiduguri / Monguno road or any route across the Northern Borno would become history,” Alhaji Sani said.
He said further, “If the amount of money they are spending just to bring up a chairman of a council is put to use in support of the soldiers, I believe we would have made progress long before now, “ he added.