Poverty, illiteracy key to tackle insurgency- Gov. Buni

By Ahmed Abba

Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe on Monday said addressing poverty and illiteracy are key to tackling insurgency in the North-east region.

The governor made this known when a delegation from the Executive Intelligence Management Course 18 of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) paid him a visit in Damaturu.

“To fully address insurgency, we must tackle its root causes—poverty and illiteracy,” Buni who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Baba Malam-Wali said.

The governor said the team’s study on non-state actors aligns was align with the state’s post-conflict peace-building and recovery efforts.

Buni said Yobe had suffered severe devastation due to insurgency, with poverty and illiteracy being major drivers of insecurity.

“These are the remain critical challenges in overcoming the Boko Haram crisis,” he said.

The governor assured the team of the state government’s support in facilitating their activities.

He urged them to come up with actionable recommendations to enhance security in the region.

The team Leader, Alhaji Ibrahim Yar’adua, said that the visit was aimed at understanding the activities of non-state actors in the state and their implications for peace and development.

“We are here to study the role of non-state actors in security management in Africa, particularly the challenges and prospects for peace and development.

“Yobe State was chosen due to its experience with insecurity and the presence of both local and international non-state actors.

“We want to assess how their activities impact security management—whether positively or negatively—and what measures the state and security agencies are taking to regulate them,” Yar’adua said.

Alhaji Zanna Ibrahim, Chairman of the NISS Alumni Yobe Chapter, said the tour was part of a 10-month course leading to the award of a fellowship.

He said the theme of the course is “Non-State Actors in Security Management: Issues, Challenges, and Prospects for Peace and Development in Africa.”

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation was in Yobe to examine the impact of non-state actors on security management.

The delegation was expected to engage with security agencies, community leaders, and other stakeholders during their stay in the state. (NAN) www.nannews.ng