Following the devastation done to Borno State by Boko Haram militants in more than three-quarters of its territory, the State cannot be rebuilt in the next 20 years, unless radical measures with marshal plans are put in place, a former senator, Dr. Mohammed Abba-Aji has said.
He said the Boko Haram insurgency, which equals civil war , needs an ‘after-war-policy’ for rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation, like that which was executed after the Nigerian civil war in 1970, or a Ministry for the North east region similar to that of the Niger-Delta’s.
“I think, a very successful execution at the end of the war during the Military after the civil war in the early 70s, had been these triple Rs: Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation. This policy of (former head of state) Gowon, had worked very well. And there is no reason it should not work here (in Borno) also.
“When I was Adviser to the Late President Yar’adua, I watched exactly how the Ministry of Niger Delta was put together – the rational behind the decision.
“I think that we can use similar argument to attract similar resources. Because Nigeria has declared that we were at war – that yes, Boko Haram insurgency is equal to a civil war.
Abba-Aji, who spoke to newsmen in Maiduguri shortly after he decamped to the APC and declared his ambition to contest for the forthcoming Borno Central Senatorial by-election, said he was capable of convincing colleagues at the Senate to see reason and help bring a similar policy that would attract resources which are necessary for rebuilding our state.
“The best place to raise this issue is at the National Assembly and you have to be in active Parliament. I think that I’m capable of convincing colleagues to see reason and to help bring a similar policy that would attract resources that are necessary for the rebuilding of our state. It needs a marshal plan. We thank God the way we are going now. We can’t rebuild it in 20 years unless we have a radical approach.
“So, I have toured around with this, I have checked constitutional and legal ways that could make it feasible, and I’m convinced that it ought to be able to attract similar policy.
Asked about the situation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Abba-Aji said: “These IDPs seem to have come to stay. They should not stay like this, we can’t continue like this. So these are things that I’m convinced about, and they are things that are pushing me to see if I could make a difference.
“So, I want us to attract resources that will bring life to normalcy, let (displaced) people go back to their communities; regardless of much rains we have now, it doesn’t make sense to us here (in Borno) since they can’t go to the farm; so we can’t continue like this.”
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