Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has presented a fully furnished two-bedroom house to Mrs. Marbel Ijeoma Duaka, an Igbo health worker from Anambra State, in recognition of her long years of service and dedication to the people of Mafa Local Government Area.
Mrs. Duaka was among 72 teachers and health workers who received houses during a commissioning ceremony on Tuesday in Mafa.
Governor Zulum praised Mrs. Duaka for her commitment, noting that she had worked at the Mafa Primary Healthcare Centre for over 24 years without leaving the town even during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency.
“She has been working here for more than 24 years and never left, not even for a month. During the Boko Haram crisis, most people fled, but she stayed. She even treated many members of my family, including my mother,” Zulum said.
The governor also announced that the house allocation would be changed from institutional to personal ownership and that Mrs. Duaka’s son, Anthony a Banking and Finance graduate had been given automatic employment at the state-owned Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri.
In her response, Mrs. Duaka thanked Governor Zulum for recognizing her service.
“Today is the happiest day of my life. His Excellency has honoured me and appreciated my work. He gave me a scholarship to study Health Education, has now given my son a job, and gifted me a house. I am truly grateful,” she said.
Governor Zulum had earlier shown a similar gesture in 2022 when he rewarded another Igbo teacher, Mrs. Obiageli Mazi from Abia State, with a house for her hard work and punctuality after 31 years of service in Borno.
