Some days ago the Marte axis was in the news again when it came under the barrage of attack by the Boko Haram insurgents. This Boko Haram faction, now under the control of the murderous jihadists of Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), has been terrorising without let, not only the Marte-Dikwa-Gamboru area, but the adjoining Monguno-Kukawa-Baga, including the vast expanse of territory North-Westwards to Magumeri, Gubio and on to Damasak. To put it in other words: most of Northern Borno.
The attacks by ISWAP would always result in a huge collateral damage and tragic loss of lives on the side of our troops and the locals. The recent one that targeted Marte took our troops by surprise, forcing them to retreat to Dikwa and abandon their base, including all the hardware they could not carry away. However, to the chagrin of the insurgents, their gain of Marte coincided with the appointment of a new Chief of Army Staff, who on assumption of duty immediately headed to Maiduguri to read the riot acts to his troops, demanding the immediate taking back of the Marte base. The fact that this was accomplished within a few days gives hope that probably better days are ahead.
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The loss and retaking of Marte underlies the unending tragedy pervading in that region. Ever since the insurgents were chased out of Maiduguri in 2015, it was to these areas they ran out to, to put into effect their imaginary caliphate. Even when our troops dislodged them from many towns and villages in the ensuing follow-ups, in northern Borno they just faded into the anonymity of the countryside. They then regrouped and returned to take vengeance and stock up on foods and women, whenever it pleased them. And in all these years, it has been Marte and the surrounding settlements including Kirenowa, Logomani, Ala, Njine and others that had borne the continued onslaught of these insurgents.
Many readers may not realise that the vast land around Marte – in fact one may hazard to state that most of the land surrounding Lake Chad, is one of the most fertile grounds we have in the country. It was in the realisation of the fertility of the soil (the unique firgi clay) surrounding Lake Chad and the fact that its water can be drawn into the hinterland to be utilised for irrigation purposes that compelled the federal government as from the early 1970s to massively invest in the required infrastructure. This includes building of canals, pumping stations, land preparations, and provision of associated engineering and agricultural equipment. In that period the area held the promise of massively impacting on the food needs of the whole country, particularly rice and wheat whose importation was eating deeply into the foreign exchange purse of the country.
The federal government, through its agency, the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA), employed extensively many professionals across the board to assist in the endeavour. Due to the dearth of professional skills in the country, CBDA was even allowed to employ from many countries of the world to help out. The professionals of various fields came in droves from many countries of the world, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sir Lanka, United Kingdom etc. For students leaving the universities and polytechnics in the mid-1970s it was the choicest place of employment. I spent the first nine years of my public service career, and probably the most engaging, there.
New Marte, the project headquarters was a mini city with all the modern appurtenances, including water, electricity from an independent power source, communication gadgets, banks, sporting facilities and hundreds of built up living quarters. The entire project area from Gamborun Ngala to New Marte onto Monguno to Kukawa and Baga was serviced with excellent macadamised road system. The 120 km road from Maiduguri to Dikwa to Gamboru with a spur of 22 kilometres to New Marte could be compared to any beautiful road in Nigeria.
It galls me and all those that have pinned their aspirations on the potentials of the projects in the south chad, that all these facilities have now added up to zero. They have been abandoned to these vagabonds, masquerading as religious fighters to despoil, leaving only hunger and desperation in the aftermath. Just before he left office Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima collaborated closely with the management of CBDA to invest heavily to cultivate a large acreage of rice in the South Chad Irrigation farmlands. At the brink of harvest, the insurgents descended on the area destroying everything and snuffing the hopes of many local farming families.
That has been the cycle of events – raising hopes to the high skies and dashing them to the ground. It has been the same evil scenario facing his successor, Governor Baba Gana Zulum. Many at times it would seem like a return of peace. The villages would be prepared for the return of the displaced persons. As soon as the displaced persons were returned and settled with all fanfare, the insurgents would return to inflict more mayhem. Resources and efforts spent, hopes dashed. This is the task now that must be on the front burner for the new Army Chief of Staff, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, who holds the key to break this logjam and put a stop to this unending tragedy.
By Mfonobong Chelly
