Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has given orders to stop the process of collecting biometric data from government workers in the state.
This decision came during his visit to Damasak, where he also welcomed back 23,291 refugees from Niger Republic.
These refugees were provided with temporary shelters in the Damasak border community. Despite the retirement and death of many workers, the state still has about 16,000 employees.
The governor expressed concerns about the biometric data collection process, stating that it causes stress for civil servants, especially teachers who have to leave their work to meet deadlines for biometric capture.
He directed the Head of Service, Mallum Fannami, to end the current biometric data capture by the end of the month.
Instead, other methods of verifying information should be used, such as Bank Verification Number (BVN) or National Identification Number (NIN).
Governor Zulum emphasized the importance of concluding all pending biometric exercises by the end of February 2024.
He assured that various methods are available to identify any duplications in the system, once a worker has a valid account number, BVN, and NIN.
Regarding the refugees from Niger Republic, the governor announced measures to support their resettlement.
Each household received N50,000 worth of food and non-food items, including mats and blankets.
Additionally, women refugees were given N5,000 and a wrapper to cope with the cold weather. Over 20,000 vulnerable women, including those from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, also received assistance.
Governor Zulum allocated ten houses for teachers of Zanna Umarti Primary and Government Secondary School in Damasak. He encouraged teachers to identify and address challenges facing the schools to improve teaching morale. Each teacher in these schools will also receive a cash support of N50,000.
