On $1bn insurgency fund

T HERE are doubts in many quarters regarding the $1 billion proposed for the Boko Haram war. This is bound to happen. We know how things are in our country.

When such a huge amount of money is withdrawn less than 14 months from a general election,  there will be doubts about what it will be used for. Remember the #Ikoyigate issue.

There are some who believe that money was stolen during the  last general election, hence the issue of money found at a flat in Ikoyi, Lagos State, which led to a whistle-blower receiving N421bn.

Now, this is an administration led by Muhammadu Buhari and things are supposed to be different, right? Well, assuring Nigerians that the money will be used judiciously will not be enough.

The use of the funds needs to be as transparent as possible. We are talking of $1 billion here, that’s a lot! We need the highest degree of transparency and accountability.

There is another question: will this $1 billion end the Boko Haram insurgency? First, we have to know that prosecuting wars is an expensive affair, especially when it is a guerilla war.

The Nigerian Air Force spends N400 million on fuelling monthly. That’s N4.8 bn in a year. It is indeed expensive.

Secondly, terrorism is never totally eradicated. What happens is that the groups are severely decapitated, bringing a halt to their activities.

But there will always be some remnants after it seems they have been defeated. These people can regroup and start launching attacks again. Defeating terrorism involves long-term strategies.

It seemed that the terrorists were severely decapitated some months ago, but they regrouped.

It is worthy of note, though, that the military allegedly dithered in dealing the final decisive blow on the insurgents despite calls from the Borno State governor.

Away from the warfare, according to the Nigerian Tribune editorial of September 19, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in a recently published report, averred that the seemingly intractable problem of terrorism in the north-eastern part of the country and some other parts of the African continent stemmed more from poverty, marginalisation and bad governance than the much touted adherence to the tenets of a religion.

If part of the money, say a quarter, is used in addressing the root causes of this insurgency and bettering the lives of the people in the region, the war against terror will be more efficient, and the group will be defeated.

Indeed, Nigeria will be the better for it. God bless Nigeria.

Adeyemi Ahmed

Ilorin, Kwara State