Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has renamed the popular Baga road in Maiduguri Metropolis after Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The governor, who made this known during Alhaji Dangote’s visit to the Dalori IDP Camp in Maiduguri, which is currently being occupied by 37,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Bama Local Government Area of the state, said the renaming became imperative following Dangote’s immense contribution and support to victims of Boko Haram especially the over 1.6 million IDPs, spread across various resettlement camps in the state.
“I want to seize this opportunity, on behalf of the good people of Borno State, to extend our appreciation to Dangote Foundation. In the last Ramadan season, 230 trucks of assorted food items were donated to our people by Dangote.
“Dangote Foundation has also donated the sum of N2 billion to our dear state for reconstruction and rehabilitation of our destroyed communities, in addition to N400 million donated to us by the same Foundation to assist our people.
“We in Borno are ever grateful and pray that Allah will continue to guide and protect Dangote and his family and that peace will return to our dear state. We also want to call on well-to-do individuals and corporate organisations to assist Borno in this our trying moment,” Shettima said.
The governor, during the visit, also took his visitors to Bakassi camp which had 152,000 IDPs from Nganzai, Monguno, Gwoza and other local government areas, after which, the visitors paid a sympathy visit to families of Boko Haram combatants that were rescued by troops and now taking refuge at a secular place in Maiduguri.
Addressing the rescued women and their children, both Dangote and the popular musician, BONO advised the families, especially the women to support government policies and programmes, saying Dangote Foundation would do everything possible to ensure safe upbringing of their innocent children educationally.
Dangote also called on the rescued victims to continue to pray for Allah to grant peace not only in Borno, but the country as a whole.
“We are here in Maiduguri with this popular world musician to sympathise with you over the unfortunate crisis of Boko Haram, I came with this musician so that he can see things for himself and see how best he could do with his talent to tell the whole world your predicaments,” Dangote said.
