Boko Haram: Borno Battling With Too Many Widows, Orphans -Shettima

Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima has said, one of the crisis created by the Boko Haram terrorists is the making of orphans and widows in the state and indeed the northeast region in general.

Shettima also said that, if these set of people are not taken care of, in the next 15 years, they will turn out another monster that might be worst than Boko Haram.

”If we don’t take care of these orphans widows, in the next 15 years, believe me, we will be having another of Boko Haram terrorists against us,”Shettima said

Shettima made this observation at the weekend while commending the former Present Olusegun Obasanjo for his continued care and show of fatherliness to the people of Borno state.

The former Nigerian president was in Maiduguri the Borno state capital at the weekend for a two-day meeting of Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum held by select states in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

Obasanjo had said Education and Development is the only remedy to Boko Haram insurgency that have ravaged the Northeast.

According to him, if the education and development witnessed in the southwest have been replicated in the Northeast, there might not have been anything like Boko Haram.

”It is unfortunate that the Boko Haram crisis happened, but one thing which is absolutely clear is that if the level of education and development in the southwest have been matched with the level of education and development in the Northeast, there might not have been anything like Boko Haram insurgency.

”So education and development is the panacea to Boko Haram insurgency.

“If Governor Kashim Shettima did not get education, he wouldn’t have the mindset of being a leader of the state. So my emphasis is that with education, development and values , there will be no room for Boko Haram,” Obasanjo said.

While acknowledging the free education policy of the Borno state government which is free from primary to secondary, Obasanjo called for the free education to be made compulsory, saying that education is the future.

”So Governor, I thank you. We came for Zero Hunger, but you took us beyond Zero Hunger, you took us to maximum development , eradication of poverty and massive investment on education. What you are doing in education is great. You have made education free from primary to secondary, but in addition to this education should be made compulsory in the state,” the former leader said

In his earlier remarks, Governor Kashim Shettima thanked Obasanjo for his patriotic stance for the unity of the nation, noting that while others are afraid to step their toes on Borno, the former president has visited the state the sixth time.