Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has called on the Federal Government to protect critical assets and heavy equipment belonging to the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA), warning against attempts by some individuals to auction serviceable equipment as scrap metal.
Zulum made the appeal amid reports that certain elements are seeking to remove and dispose of equipment located at the CBDA headquarters and booster stations across northern parts of Borno State under the guise of scrap metal auctioning.
The Chad Basin Development Authority was established by the Federal Government to harness the agricultural and water resources of the Lake Chad Basin, promote irrigation farming, improve livestock production, enhance water supply, and support electricity generation in the region.
The governor noted that the recent reconstitution of the CBDA management by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources was aimed at reviving the agency’s mandate and accelerating agricultural development, food security, and rural livelihoods across Borno State and the North-East.
Expressing concern over the reported auction plans, Zulum said the equipment targeted for disposal was procured with public funds and remains functional. He stressed that auctioning such assets would weaken the authority’s operations and undermine agricultural development efforts in the state.
According to him, the equipment reportedly marked for auction includes irrigation facilities, booster plants, drilling machines, power-generation equipment, tractors, bulldozers, combined harvesters, pipelines, and crop-processing machinery, many of which are still serviceable.
The governor warned that removing the equipment would effectively dismantle the operational capacity of the CBDA and negatively affect the agricultural value chain in Borno State.
Zulum further argued that while the Federal Government is investing significant resources in combating insurgency, resettling displaced persons, and revitalising agriculture, efforts to dispose of strategic public assets would run contrary to those objectives.
He also highlighted concerns over the connection between illegal metal scavenging and insecurity in the state, noting that scrap metal activities have often been linked to criminal networks operating within conflict-affected areas around the Lake Chad Basin, Sambisa Forest, and the Timbuktu Triangle.
The governor maintained that allowing the sale or vandalisation of public assets could inadvertently strengthen criminal elements and undermine ongoing security and development initiatives.
Reaffirming the state’s position, Zulum said Borno’s policy banning scrap metal activities remains in force, describing the trade as a channel through which serviceable public infrastructure is sometimes vandalised and sold.
He stated that the state government remains committed to preserving and rehabilitating valuable equipment needed to support agricultural productivity and industrial development.
The governor therefore called on the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to intervene and halt any proposed auction of CBDA assets. He also urged military and law enforcement agencies to increase vigilance around CBDA facilities and other public infrastructure to prevent vandalism and protect national assets.
Zulum emphasized that safeguarding the equipment is essential to achieving the Federal Government’s goals of agricultural expansion, food security, economic recovery, and sustainable livelihoods in Borno State and the wider North-East region.
