Borno Community Backs Ndume For Fresh Term Over N66bn Erosion Control Projects

The Shani community in Borno State has pledged support for Senator Ali Ndume and its representative in the House of Representatives to seek fresh terms, citing their efforts to establish a Federal College of Agriculture and secure government intervention in the region’s worsening erosion problems.

The chairman of the Shani community, Musa Lawal Lubo, made the pledge yesterday when he led some community leaders on a solidarity visit to the former Senate leader.

Checks revealed that a bill seeking to establish the Federal College of Agriculture in Shani has passed its third reading in the Senate.

The bill requires concurrence by the House of Representatives before it can be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

Ndume has also been pursuing presidential approval for proposed erosion-control projects estimated at N66 billion across Southern Borno.

The two initiatives have raised hopes of improved access to education, agricultural development and infrastructure protection in a region facing significant development challenges.

Lubo, who said the visit was at the instance of the Emir of Shani, said the community remained grateful to Ndume for his efforts to attract a federal institution to the area.

“We are here today to thank Distinguished Senator Ali Ndume for successfully passing a bill in the Senate, calling for the establishment of the Federal College of Agriculture in Shani,” he said.

He said the proposed college represented more than another federal institution, describing it as an opportunity to expand access to agricultural education, equip young people with practical skills and support farmers in an area known for cultivating rice, tomatoes and onions.

Lubo said the community would approach its representative in the House of Representatives to seek support for the bill, expressing confidence that the remaining legislative stages would be completed.

“The Senate has already given us the approval. We will now go to the member of the House of Representatives and request him to kindly do us a favour and do the same so that this particular bill will see the light of day and benefit our community as expected,” he said.

He told journalists that Shani had sufficient land and other social amenities to accommodate the proposed college. He also expressed hope that the Borno State Government would help facilitate its establishment after the necessary approvals had been secured.

On the proposed ₦66 billion erosion-control projects across Southern Borno, Ndume said the intervention would cover several local government areas, with a separate project worth ₦6 billion earmarked for the Aguza area.

He described gully erosion as one of the major challenges confronting communities in the region, adding that the proposals had reached the final stage of the approval process.

“We are now at the last stage. We are waiting for the President’s final approval,” he said.

Ndume expressed optimism that the projects would proceed once the necessary approval was secured.

Thanking the delegation for the visit, the former Senate Leader said public office should be about service rather than personal enrichment. He urged other elected officials to use their positions to address the needs of their constituents.

“I did not join politics to enrich myself. I joined politics to serve the people,” he said.

He also cautioned politicians against using young people merely to advance their personal political interests, calling for greater discipline, responsibility and accountability.

Reaffirming the community’s support for Ndume’s re-election bid, Lubo said the visit was intended to communicate its political position.

“We cannot tell anybody not to contest, but we have told you the direction of our community,” he said.

The community has made its political position clear, with its next expectation being the delivery of the promised projects and development initiatives.