Published By Olukayode Idowu
Borno State Government is set to award scholarship to 500 orphans of Civilian Joint Task Force, hunters and vigilantes who lost their lives while resisting Boko Haram.
A statement by the spokesman of Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Isa Gusau on Wednesday, said “coming January 2022, an initiative titled “Borno Heroes Support Programme” will be launched by Borno state Government for the award of educational scholarship to 500 orphans and their widowed mothers left behind by members of the Civilian JTF, hunters and vigilantes who died during battles with Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Gusau said Governor Babagana Zulum announced this during his 2022 budget address at the Borno State House of Assembly on Tuesday in Maiduguri.
He quoted the governor to have said: “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. 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.”
The governor added that: “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.”
Zulum also disclosed that “another component of the BORNO HEROES’ SUPPORT PROGRAMME is needs assessment of widows left behind by the deceased volunteers”.
He noted that “Government will allocate required support to these widows for sustainable livelihoods”.