The media aides of the Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, have officially presented the seventh edition of his administration’s flagship publication, The 7th Verdict, at an event attended by members of the State House of Assembly, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and many other stakeholders.
The publication is a compendium of news reports, analyses, features, columns, commentaries, discourses, editorials, selected speeches and a scorecard on the seventh year of Zulum’s tenure as governor from May 29, 2025 to May 28, 2026.
The latest compendium is a 213-page document with 21 sections, including a scorecard on Zulum’s performance in his seventh year as well as a special section documenting the political activities building up to the 2027 general elections.
The publication comprises newspaper editorials from different media organisations which chronicled Zulum’s post-conflict recovery efforts such as refugees’ repatriation and the stabilisation mechanism for those returning from the IDP camps.
The sectoral compilation in the 7th Verdict comprises three stories on Zulum’s humanitarian engagements, 28 news articles and discourses on security, 8 stories on resettlement and reconstruction and 17 on Education, indicating a shift from humanitarian activities to providing robust security and infrastructure.
The compendium has other publications on infrastructure, agriculture, water resources and environment; religion, culture and festivities; budget, economic planning, and commerce; civil service, vocations and appointments; and activities from the Deputy Governor’s Office.
The 7th Verdict also documents issues from the Office of the First Lady; Zulum’s ‘Unusual’ Approach to Governance and Witnesses to his Service Delivery. There are also articles on awards, tributes and special occasions; foreign, intergovernmental and development partnerships; speeches as well as engagements and discourses emanating from the North-East Governors’ Forum.
The presentation was led by the publisher of the compendium and the Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe, the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mustapha Ali Busuguma, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Tar, and assisted by the governor’s media aides, including the Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya; STA on Print Communications, Abdurrahman Ahmed Bundi; and SSA on Media, Baba Sheikh Haruna.
Also joining the presentation are the editorial adviser, Dr Sharafa Dauda, SA on Photography, Mohammed Alhaji Gana and assistant editors (compilation) Habu Kale Tijjani, Auwal Mohammed Umar and Dogo M Shettima.
.. I’m human, not perfect–Governor
Responding after the official unveiling of the 7th verdict, Governor Zulum noted that despite the monumental achievements recorded by his administration, he is human and may have made some wrong decisions.
“There is no power except that of the Almighty Allah. We thank Allah for all that we have achieved; it is not by our power or knowledge but with the help of Almighty Allah,” Zulum said.
He added. “I think we have done more than 1,500 projects; I would rather say 1,500 clusters of projects, because in the water sector alone we have more than 1,500 projects. Despite all my achievements, I am a human being; I have many wrongdoings. We are not perfect.”
Zulum commended journalists and the Nigerian media industry for focusing on what he described as developmental journalism.
“I don’t want to talk much; I am beginning to be nostalgic and emotional. You know, people tend to forget things so easily. In the first, second, up to the third year of this administration, our visits to Monguno, where we spend from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm coordinating food distribution. Our journalists are fully involved in the process.”
“Remember our visits to Ngala, Kala-Balge, Damboa, Chibok and the almighty Baga; we have faced the threats, the risks and everything together. We are very grateful,” Zulum stated.
He also commended members of his media team for their consistent efforts to showcase and document the achievements of his administration since 2019.
