Why Biu Forum was formed -Muhammad
Several people have this misconception about the two organisations. They seem to think that Biu Forum is a rival to BEDA. The problem arose because some of them have not really taken time to study our constitution or aims and objectives, where it is clearly spelt out that the forum’s members should strengthen BEDA in […]
Several people have this misconception about the two organisations. They seem to think that Biu Forum is a rival to BEDA. The problem arose because some of them have not really taken time to study our constitution or aims and objectives, where it is clearly spelt out that the forum’s members should strengthen BEDA in their localities and assist the association to achieve its aims and objectives. Biu Emirate comprises four local governments and Biu Forum has Biu Local Government as its primary constituency. There are similar fora like the Kuyarkusar Development Association, Bayo Development Association and Hawul Development Association that are all under BEDA. So, I often wonder why some people still single out Biu Forum as a rival to BEDA. At our recent second anniversary celebrations, most people who had this misconception have now understood that Biu Forum and BEDA are in harmony.
If Biu Forum is primarily aimed at assisting people of Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, why is the headquarter situated in Kaduna and not Biu or Maiduguri?
If you are focused, you can sit and decide for your people from anywhere. It is the implementation that matters. I want to tell you that we are constantly in touch with our roots. We have a Biu chapter of the forum which is headed by the local government chairman and we speak on a daily basis. The entire concept of the forum is that we have problems at home that need to be solved but the resources are not there and those who have the resources are mostly outside Biu town and even Borno State. Majority of those who have the resources and are ready to assist are found along the Kano-Kaduna-Abuja axis and it is easier to coordinate them here in Kaduna than in any location. Coordinating our members and harnessing resources are easier done from here. All the 11 wards in Biu Local Government have representatives at the Biu chapter of the forum. They feed the chairman with all the suggestions and problems and he gives us the feedback here at the headquarters with a view to solve them. The cordial relationship that exists in the forum and the goodwill that it enjoys were evident during the recent second Annual General Meeting where all and sundry attended. District Heads, Village Heads and people from all walks of life came out to witness the occasion.
How is the forum funded?
The day-to-day running of the forum is being financed by our monthly contribution of N100. All patriotic members are expected to give this minimum amount; those who have the means do give higher amounts. However, if we have a project or problem at hand, we do reach out to all our members with the cost implications and solicit donations. The response has always been encouraging and this is due to the trust that they have in the leadership which uses their funds judiciously. People, on their own, used to come and ask whether there is a project to execute! Some people even give their donations anonymously, especially those in politics because they don’t want to politicise the forum.
So, the forum does not dabble into politics
No. We are a socio-cultural association whose sole aim is to improve the welfare of members, to unite them and to develop our area. We also want the youths to be meaningfully engaged so as to arrest restiveness and this will also contribute to the economic wellbeing of the area.
But people of southern Borno have been agitating for power shift that they want to produce the next governor of the state. Is the forum not assisting in that struggle?
All we want is to see our sons and daughters well positioned for whatever portfolio that is up for grabs. We are encouraging them to contest for the highest positions at every level, be they at the local government, state or federal levels. We are also encouraging the parties to come out with their best aspirants; that`s where we come in. We want people who are transparent and honest and have a track record of performance. But economically, we are not as strong as people from the northern part of the state and politics of today requires money. But educationally, we are more advanced than the north. So, we are urging our brothers in the north to come up with an arrangement for the people of southern Borno to access the governorship. In this regard, we are urging all political parties to adopt power shift in Borno State so as to allow the people to prove themselves.