The Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has rewarded Mrs. Marbel Ijeoma Duaka, a health worker from Anambra State, with a fully furnished two-bedroom house for her outstanding service and resilience during the Boko Haram insurgency.
Governor Zulum also offered an automatic employment to Duaka’s son, Anthony, a Banking and Finance graduate, at Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri.
Presenting the house keys in Mafa Local Government Area on Tuesday, October 7, the governor praised Mrs. Duaka for serving at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Mafa for over 24 years without leaving, even during the peak of the insurgency.
“She has been working here for over 24 years and has never left Mafa for a single month. During the Boko Haram crisis, most people fled the town, but she stayed throughout the conflict despite being a non-indigene. She has treated most of my family members, including my mother,” Zulum said.
The governor ordered that the house allocation be issued in her name and added, “Do not leave Mafa, even after you retire.”
Mrs. Duaka was among 72 teachers and health workers who received housing units under Zulum’s initiative to reward exceptional service and improve living conditions in the state.
This gesture mirrors a similar recognition in October 2022, when the governor gifted a house to Mrs. Obiageli Mazi, a teacher from Abia State, for her commitment after 31 years of service in Borno.
An emotional Mrs. Duaka expressed her gratitude, calling it the happiest moment of her life. “He provided me with a scholarship to study BSc in Health Education, today he has given my son a job and given me a house. I am truly grateful,” she said.
