Borno Rejects Restoration Of GSM Network

The Borno state Government has declared the state would rather be without GSM network services if its restoration will distablize the relative peace being enjoyed in the state. GSM network was restored in Adamawa and Yobe, after it was cut off following declaration of a state of emergency in both states and in Borno. GSM network was however not restored in Borno when same was done in Adamawa and Yobe, but the government of the state says it does not mind being without the network just to be sure of peace in the state. Declaring this while receiving members of the Senate Committee on Defence, Police, Army and National Security (SCDPANS), who were in Borno on a courtesy call yesterday, the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha commended the Committee led by its Chairman, Senator George Sekibo for their concern on how to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the north, adding that, the committee has demonstrated a sense of nationalism for revisiting the state to assess the security situation. “We as Government and the people of Borno state want to use this opportunity to thank the SCDPANS, JTF and the vigilante youths a.k.a Civilian JTF in the fight against terrorism, all your efforts are highly commendable as we are witnessing tremendous improvement on the security challenges, the 6am to 9pm curfew has been relaxed to 11pm, and if restoration of GSM network will affect the relative peace we now enjoyed, it is better we went to Adamawa or Yobe to make calls and come back to Maiduguri,” the Deputy Governor said. Mustapha said despite recent killings by suspected Boko Haram sect in Mainok village, Biu and Kukawa council areas, the government is optimistic that total peace will be restored across the state in no distant time, and therefore called on all and sundry to use the period of Ramadan Kareem to pray for peace and unity in the state. Speaking earlier, the Chairman and Leader of the delegation, Senator George Sekibo told the Deputy Governor that they were in the state for the second time to assess the security situation, meet with security agencies and stakeholders with a view to collectively reviewing the security challenges in the state. He said, with what they saw on ground so far, the declaration for the state of emergency in the three states have started yielding positive result, as life is gradually picking up, and the rate of killings have drastically reduced in the state.