Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has stated that the entire North East would have completely been wiped out from the surface of the earth by the activities of Boko Haram terrorists if not for the timely intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari to save the situation.
He explained that the region was being rebuilt to ensure the return of the those affected by insurgency since 2009 to date.
Shettima, who spoke at a two-day summit organized by Northern Elders Forum in Kaduna on Monday, said the state has about 50,000 widows as a result of the insurgency.
He said the number of infants in the state through the activities of Boko Haram was more than the number of widows across the state.
The governor assured that the state government was making efforts towards rebuilding and resettling the Internally Displaced Persons by settling them before the end of this year.
“We hope to close all IDPs camp before 29 May, 2017 so that all will return to their houses to continue with their normal way of life,” he explained.
To control the present social vices among the youths, he said, efforts should be made to enroll more children in schools with a view to educating them for better future leaders in the country.
He added that there was the need for job creation through improved agricultural techniques, small scale businesses and gender empowerment by giving the youths a sense of belonging in all spheres of life.
Shettima stressed the need for unity in the region as the only way to come out of the present predicament the region has found itself, pointing out that efforts should be made to restore the glory of the North.
To enhance the unity of the region, he explained that the meeting of the Northern Governors Forum would be rotated across all the states of the region, adding that the next meeting of the forum would take place in Benue State.
Comments