Following the recent attack on the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, six governors of the northeast states and heads of security agencies have met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, with the state chief executives disclosing that insurgents are able to recruit more followers because of lack of access to farmlands.
They said the people need their farmlands and want to be resettled to go back to their normal lives.
They have therefore called on the President to address these causes of insurgency in the area.
The governors who were at the meeting also attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo include Zulum (Borno), Mai Bala Buni (Yobe), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Mohammed Yahaya (Gombe), and Darius Ishaku (Taraba).
Briefing State House correspondents on the governors’ behalf after the meeting, Zulum revealed that stemming from the meeting of the governors in Maiduguri, they resolved to come and brief the president on the lingering insecurity in the zone and to explore ways to end it.
He said: “Arising from the northeast governors’ forum meeting held in Maiduguri on Saturday, we met the president with a view to highlighting the key challenges in the region, especially issues of security, decaying infrastructure especially rock projects, cases of oil exploration in the region, issues of enhancing river basin development in the region among others. That is the main reason why we met Mr President.”
He added: “The government of the region have commended the efforts of the federal government in securing the region.
“However, we told Mr President that there is a need for the federal government to address the causes of the insurgency, which are not limited to the endemic poverty, hunger among others.
“One of the root causes is that of access to farmlands, people need to go back to their farmlands, people need to be resettled in their original homes so that they can restart their means of livelihood.
“This is one of the reasons the insurgents are recruiting more into the sect and therefore creating enabling environment will enable the people to go about their normal duties will no doubt reduce the cases of insurgency.
“We also recommended that police should be empowered, to be provided with a certain state of the art equipment, armoured personnel carrier and so on with a view to bridging the manpower gap that we are having in the Nigerian military.”
On his recent altercation with the military, which had suggested that he was ungrateful as well as his suspicion that there is a deliberate attempt to prolong the insurgency, the Borno Governor called for cooperation among all tiers of government to end the menace.
He added: “We have had series of consultations after the attack and I think security is not only about the federal government.
“There is a need for the federal, states and the local government to come together with a view to profiling solutions that will end this crisis in the region.
“But most importantly, there is a war economy in the region and I think that is why we are here.
“So. I think the government is taking a bold step with a view to ensuring the speedy resolution of some of the grey areas that we have in the region.”
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
N2.5trn Voted For Federal Roads In 20 Years
THE Federal Government has in the last 20 years allocated the sum of N2.542 trillion to construction and rehabilitation of federal roads, Tribune Online findings at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, as well as the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, have revealed. The allocation was made during the administrations of four former leaders of the country; General Abdulsalami Abubakar (1999), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007), Alhaji Umaru Yar’ Adua (2007-2010) and Dr Goodluck Jonathan (2010-2015) and the current…Why Boko Haram recruit
School Reopening: JAMB Meets Heads Of Tertiary Institutions On New Admission Date
THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) is considering a new date for the commencement of the 2020 admissions processes from the earlier announced date of 22nd August 2020. The Board would accordingly meet all the tertiary institutions on Monday, 10th August 2020, to brainstorm on the possibility of shifting…
MONDAY LINES: Let’s Close Schools Forever
This one that COVID death is killing kings and their horsemen, big men dropping in droves, what do you think will happen if coronavirus stays put till 2023? Will there be elections?” “Why won’t there be elections? Life is for the living. We will hold rallies. We will campaign, we will sing, dance and thoroughly abuse our opponents…Why Boko Haram recruit
The 9Cs Of Success
Success is the dream of everyone but the reality of a few. While it is possible for everyone to be successful, it is only those who are willing to put into practise the principles that engender success that prime themselves for success. Here are some of the success-enabling principles, all of which start with…Why Boko Haram recruit
FACT CHECK: Did Buruji Kashamu Die On Same Date With His Mother?
CLAIM: A viral photo which was circulated on social media claim that late Senator Buruji Kashamu died on August 8 just like his mother who died in 2019…Why Boko Haram recruit
and then