Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has been inaugurated as the new governor of Borno state, after taking over from Kashim Shettima who will now represent Borno Central at the Senate.
The ceremony which took place at the Ramat Square in Maiduguri ended abruptly with both Zulum and Shettima leaving the venue in the latter’s personal car.
Professor Zulum, who promised to shepherd the state towards prosperity with a 10-point transformation agenda, had to halt his speech twice due to cough.
Both the outgoing and incoming deputy governors, Umar Usman Kadafur and Usman Mamman Durkwa, were also in attendance.
The new governor, Zulum, also set an all-inclusive agenda aimed at bringing all on board in governance.
“I believe in Borno State; I believe Borno will be great again,” Zulum said and urged the people of the state to strive to achieve unity of purpose and solidarity to combat the security challenge bedevilling the state.
The former governor, Kashim Shettima, had earlier thanked the people of the state for giving him the privilege to serve them over the last eight years, urging them to support and cooperate with Zulum who, he prayed, would surpass his achievements.
The ceremony attracted a mammoth crowd with heavily armed security agents providing protection.