The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, has rewarded a long-serving health worker, Marbel Ijeoma Duaka, with a fully furnished two-bedroom house and offered her son, Anthony Duaka, a job at Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri.
Naijaonpoint reports that Duaka, who hails from Anambra State, has worked at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Mafa Local Government Area for more than 24 years, earning praise for her dedication and loyalty even at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Governor Zulum personally presented the house keys to her during a housing allocation ceremony held in Mafa on Tuesday.
Speaking during the presentation, the governor lauded Duaka’s resilience, describing her as a model of selflessness and service to humanity.
“She has been working here for over 24 years and has never left Mafa for a single month,” Zulum said.
“During the Boko Haram crisis, most people fled the town, but she stayed throughout the conflict despite being a non-indigene.”
Zulum, who shared that Mrs. Duaka had personally treated some of his family members, including his late mother, said her commitment to duty deserved recognition.
“She has treated most of my family members, including my mother,” he said.
“The allocation letter should be issued in your name. Do not leave Mafa, even after you retire.”
The governor also directed immediate employment for her son, Anthony, a graduate of Banking and Finance, at Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri.
“Your son, Anthony, will be given automatic employment at the Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri. His employment starts with immediate effect,” he added.
Duaka’s recognition came as part of a larger state initiative in which 72 teachers and health workers were awarded housing units for their service across the state.
Governor Zulum, who has repeatedly honoured exemplary civil servants, said the initiative aims to encourage hard work, loyalty, and service, regardless of ethnicity or religion.
In October 2022, he had also rewarded another Igbo teacher, Mrs Obiageli Mazi from Abia State, with a fully furnished house for her 31 years of diligent service and punctuality in the state’s education sector.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Duaka described the day as the most joyful moment of her life, saying the governor’s gesture had transformed her family’s future.
“Today is the happiest day for me because His Excellency has honoured me and appreciated what I have been doing in Mafa,” she said.
“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.”
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