Kogi-Borno man’s gratitude to Prof. Zulum

By Jack Vince

In 2013, I had two accidents in quick succession. These happened when Boko Haram terrorists held Maiduguri to ransom. Life was really tough and movement was largely restricted, wrought with incessant curfews. I was nursed at home where, for two weeks, I was bedridden. Gradually I regained my health (or thought I did), but the accident had affected my gait and sprint.

The situation remained uneventful from 2014 until September 2019 when I attended the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Hamburg, Germany. Mid-air, between Abuja and Dubai, I felt an excruciating pain in my lower back. I took painkillers and managed to effectively partake at the conference. But since I returned in October, 2019, I’ve been living with severe pain everyday until today. I had two MRI scan in Maiduguri and Abuja and the result showed what doctors called DH with Cauda Equina Compression.

Few people knew about my plight because I try, daily, to be cheerful, to take my drugs and to live as happily as I can before I’m able to raise enough money for the needed corrective surgery. To God be the glory, today is one of my happiest days. Governor Babagana Umara Zulum was informed of my predicament and he generously funded my treatment with ₦3million. I got the fund through my boss, Malam Isa Gusau, Special Adviser on Public Relations and Strategy to the Executive Governor. As everyone is aware, I am a Christian from Kogi State but it didn’t matter to the governor. His kindness is for everyone regardless of religion or ethnicity. In fact, he had given ₦10 million to another Christian in my community that had kidney problem in January, 2021. Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum is a quintessence of humility, kindness and compassion, a fact people who really know him could attest to. I am grateful to the governor for his kindness to me and everybody else that have experienced his generosity first hand. I’ll be grateful if you pray for me and join your voice with mine in thanking the amiable professor for this act of kindness. Allah ya saka da alkhairi.

Jack is a special assistant to Governor Zulum.