Tackling poverty will defeat insurgency, says Zulum

The governor, who spoke to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, however, tasked government at all levels to ensure that youths are positively engaged with jobs, so as to root out insurgency.

The governor noted that peace was gradually returning to the Northeast, particularly Borno State, acknowledging the efforts put into the process.

He said the state had resettled more than 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their homes, following the return of security.

He said: “I’m glad to inform Nigerians that there is gradual return of peace to the Northeast region, particularly in Borno State.

Government has started resettlement of people to their ancestral homes.

“We have received tremendous support from the Nigerian military, from the paramilitary, the Ministry of Finance, Humanitarian Affairs and its agencies especially NEMA, the North East Development Commission and others.

“The gradual return of people to their respective localities is a symbol of peace. So far so good, we are doing well.

“We need continuous support from the Nigerian military. We need sustainable support to ensure that this madness is brought to an end.”

On how best to fight insurgency and ensure that people live in peace, the governor said: “The kinetic measures will not solve the problem. There must be certain political solutions.

“Among the political solutions are the issues of supporting the Nigerian youths… with a means to earning their livelihood.

“As I have earlier said, there is need for us to address the root causes of the problem. One of the greatest root causes of insurgency is poverty. So government at all levels should give job opportunities to the youth and an enabling environment for the poor to have access to their farmlands.

“That is what I have been advocating since I assumed the mantle of leadership as governor of Borneo State.

“We want to ensure that people return to their communities, people have access to their farmlands, their livestock farms, aquaculture farms.

“I think this is the only solution; military solution alone will never solve the problem.”

Speaking on recent developments across the country, especially the #EndSARS protest, which precipitated other violent crises in different parts of the country, the governor warned young Nigerians to be careful not to plunge the country into another crisis, pointing out that the circumstances that gave birth to the Boko Haram insurgency started with a mere protest.

He said the #EndSARS protests failed to gain momentum in his state because the youth realised that the state is just coming out of a protracted crisis, coupled with the fact that the state government also worked with the youth, ensuring efforts to meet their needs.

He said: “The issues of transparency and good governance are very important. Whatever we are doing in Borno State, we are ensuring that the entire public is well involved.

“Fortunately, Borno State received the palliatives early enough and within two weeks of receiving them, we had distributed them to deserving ones.

“On the issue of #EndSARS, I am calling on all Nigerians, especially the youth, to be very careful.

“The whole Boko Haram saga started as a result of the protest by some youths in Maiduguri against the use of helmet by motorcycle riders. You have seen the situation now.

“Over one million people have been displaced and the most affected population are the vulnerable, the youths.

“Some of those that led the protests have left Borno State. They are either staying in Abuja or Lagos or abroad. We have to be very careful.

“So in Borno State, the entire situation did not take such dimension as that of Lagos because we told them to sit down and examine the situation and recall the past when the situation was so bad. Now, there is emerging peace in Borno State and we don’t want anybody to disrupt the peace.

“The youths are with us. We are taking very good care of them. As for palliatives, we are distributing to them as and when due.

“We are giving them certain financial support and I think the best way every Nigerian should seek for his/her right is through legitimate means, otherwise we are not going anywhere.

“Peace is very important.”

Speaking about the return of IDPs to their homes, the governor said: “Within the last one year, we have returned 100,000 IDPs to their ancestral homes.

“The President was happy and has given his commitment to support the entire north eastern region and in particular the government of Borno State in ensuring that permanent peace reigns in the region.

“Most importantly, we must comment his efforts.

“Let me also use this opportunity to condemn police brutality in other parts of the nation; the killings at Lekki Tollgate.

“But I must also condemn the excesses of some of our youths in taking the law into their own hands by destroying some of our infrastructures in the guise of supporting the legitimate demands of #EndSARS protesters.”