Some residents of Borno State Tuesday
described as unfair the continued suspension
of telecommunications services to the state,
insisting that the federal government cannot
continue to hide under insecurity to deny them
one of their most basic needs of life - the need
to get connected to the rest of the world.
Some of the residents, who spoke to
journalists in Maiduguri, said particularly
annoying was the number of lives lost on the
highways leading to the state by people who
travelled to reach their relatives and
associates through telephone from the
neighbouring states.
GSM lines were locked down on May 16 this
year, two days after emergency rule were
declared by President Goodluck Jonathan on
Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.
Though telephoning has been restored to Yobe
and Adamawa States for over two months
now, the people of Borno State are left
disconnected from the rest of the globe.
A member representing Kwaya Kusar state
constituency in the Borno State House of
Assembly, Hon, Saleh Banga, who argued that
the federal government no more has excuse
for locking down telecommunications in the
state since months after, said it was high time
GSM lines were restored especially as many
lives are lost on the Borno highways, many of
which would not have suffered the ugly fate
had there been telecommunications services in
the state.
He said: “Many people lost their lives while
travelling to Damaturu to make calls. We
witnessed over 200 people massacred in
Beneisheikh, we have never witnessed such
killings in Maiduguri since the insecurity
started, after the one year anniversary of the
Boko Haram crisis.”
He further argued that it was unfair on the
people of the state for telecommunications to
be restored especially in Yobe which had at
many occasionss suffered the deadliest of
Boko Haram attacks.
Banga said if telecommunications services
were locked down due to Boko Haram attacks
and not for punitive reason, the federal
government has no reason to keep the people
of Borno incommunicado and further risk their
lives to the dangers of the road.
Another resident of the state, Mallam Sani,
said the network has affected the business of
the people seriously, leaving many broke.
He added that "the closure of the network has
affected the economy and social lives of the
people, as life without communication is dull
and the people of the state are living like
prisoners in their country."
He lamented that perhaps why the federal
government refused to restored the GSM was
because the rich and the elite who can afford
to buy Thuraya handsets are not affected.
He said: "The elite and high profile Nigerians
including politicians, business men and even
top government officials have Thuraya phones
and internet services in their homes."
Sani said: "How would they care about us
when they made law that Thuraya should not
be used and they go about using it. In fact it
has become a status thing to be able to call in
Maiduguri."
He called on the federal government to assist
them and open the network, as the network is
not affecting the elite and high profile Nigerian,
adding that top politicians, business men and
even top government officials have Thurraya
services and internet services in their houses.
He said it was only the masses that have to
travel about one hundred kilometers to make
calls, pointing out that since Maiduguri and
Jere are safe, government should restore
network within Maiduguri metropolis.
Hajiya Fatima Ali also called on the federal
government to restore the network, stressing
that Maiduguri metropolis is now safe and no
Boko Haram member dare enter Maiduguri
without being arrested.
A spare parts dealer, Mr. Peter Nwosu, said
government should continue to hold GSM
network, as full peace was yet to return to the
entire state.
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