Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has presented a fully-furnished two-bedroom house to a health worker in the state, Mrs Marbel Ijeoma Duaka, in recognition of her dedication and service to the people of the state.
Mrs Duaka, who hails from Anambra State was among the 72 teachers and health workers who received housing units at a ceremony inaugurated by Governor Zulum on Tuesday in Mafa local government area of the state.
In a similar gesture in October 2022, the Governor rewarded another Igbo teacher, Mrs Obiageli Mazi from Abia State with a housing unit at the teachers’ quarters in Maiduguri for her hard work and punctuality after 31 years of service in Borno State.
While presenting the keys of the house to the beneficiary, Zulum also announced automatic employment for Mrs. Duaka’s son, Anthony, a Banking and Finance graduate, at the state-owned Kashim Ibrahim University.
Zulum noted that Mrs Duaka has been working at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Mafa for more than two decades and never left the town, even during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency.
“She has been working here for over 24 years and has never left Mafa for a single month. During the Boko Haram crisis, most people fled the town, but she stayed throughout the conflict despite being a non-indigene. She has treated most of my family members, including my mother,” the Governor said.
He further directed that the allocation of the house be changed from an institutional to a personal allocation. “The allocation letter should be issued in your name. Do not leave Mafa, even after you retire,” he remarked.
Addressing her son, the Governor added: “Your son, Anthony, will be given automatic employment at the Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri. His employment starts with immediate effect.”
Responding on behalf of her family, Mrs Duaka thanked Governor Zulum for appreciating her little contribution to the people of Mafa.
“Today is the happiest day for me because His Excellency has honoured me and appreciated what I have been doing in Mafa. He has been so good to me.
“He provided me with a scholarship to study B.Sc in Health Education; today, he has given my son a job and given me a house. I am truly grateful,” Duaka said.
