Borno State Launches Heroes' Support Programme

Borno State Government says it will launch the “Borno Heroes Support Programme” initiative in January 2022.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s media aide, Malam Isa Gusau, on Wednesday, adding that the initiative will award educational scholarships to 500 orphans and their widowed mothers left behind by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), hunters and vigilantes who died during battles with Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Part of the statement reads, ‘’Governor Babagana Umara Zulum announced this during his 2022 budget address at the Borno State House of Assembly on Tuesday in Maiduguri.

The statement added that: “We plan to launch BORNO HEROES’ SUPPORT PROGRAMME. This programme involves the setting up of a Government team that will identify primary and secondary school-aged orphans of volunteers in the CJTF, hunters and volunteers who died during battles. The government will give these orphans scholarships to Federal Government Colleges and International schools. The programme is to be in phases with a pilot phase of 500 orphans.’’

“Many of these Civilian JTF fighters, hunters and vigilantes have lost their lives fighting for Borno’s peace. Insha’Allah, we plan to reward their priceless sacrifices by educating the children they left behind, and by supporting their widows through a programme we plan to launch in January, Insha’Allah,” the Governor said.

Zulum explained that “another component of the BORNO HEROES’ SUPPORT PROGRAMME is the assessment of widows left behind by the deceased volunteers”.

He noted that the “Government will allocate required support to these widows for sustainable livelihoods”.