By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has opined that poverty is the major cause of Boko Haram insurgency in the state and North East region.
The governor also suggested that there is the need for collective efforts to rid terrorism in the state and zone, hence, security is the responsibility of everybody not only the government at any level.
Zulum stated this on Saturday when members of the Barewa Old Boys’ Association (BOBA) Local Organizing Committee ( LOC) and National Executive Council (NEC) led by the National President of BOBA, Engineer Dahiru Ibrahim paid him a courtesy call at the Government House Council Chamber Maiduguri.
He added that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had on November 17 said that at least, 133 million Nigerians are suffering from multi dimensional poverty.
Zulum noted further that a good leadership could have been a panacea to the Boko Haram insurgency at the beginning or emergence of the crisis, pointing out that, thousands of people have lost their lives and property from the insurgency regrettably while about two million citizens of the Borno state have been displaced since the crisis started in 2009.
“Once there is no good leadership, nothing can be achieved. As leaders, we need to ensure discipline and accountability and above all monitoring and evaluation.
“For we the leaders, there is the need to do the needful, create the enabling environment for people to find their means of livelihood. The nexus between peace, security, and development should not be over-emphasized, if there is no peace, no development.
“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has clearly spelt out that security is under the control of the Federal Government but that does not mean that the state governments are not important, but they also played a critical role in the situation within the state,” Zulum said.
He however commended the association and elder statement in their midst who have held important positions at the federal and state governments in the past where 5 former Heads of state or presidents of Nigeria are alumnus of the college including ministers, military governors, federal permanent secretaries, managing directors and chief executives of reputable public and private organizations.
The Governor further assured the association of his personal and government support and partnership with the association, particularly on education to revive the state education sector and also improve in the leadership quality of the Northern part of the country, by extension the country at large.
He wished them a fruitful 2022 annual public lecture and awards dunner while pledging to personally attend all their major functions during their stay in Maiduguri and urged them to go round the state capital to assess capital projects executed by his administration.
Earlier in his address, the National President of BOBA, Engineer Dahiru Ibrahim said the association decided to hold its 2022 annual public and awards dinner in Maiduguri, for the first time, in order to influence quality and proper development in the north east region following the devastating effects of the insurgency which has ravaged the state and region for over a decade.
He however appreciated the efforts and sacrifices of Governor Zulum in his last three years of leadership and applauded the remarkable achievements he has laid on ground as a legacy for future generations to reckon with.
The National President also assured the governor that the outcome of the Association meeting will be useful to the state leadership and nation at large as leadership challenges would be discussed in a key note public lecture to be delivered by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar when the meeting is declared open during the weekend.
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