Former Niger State Governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has explained how he chased the dreaded Boko Haram leaders, Abubakar Shekau and Abu Qaqa, out of Niger State during his first term as Governor.

He stated that if he had not chased them out, Niger would have become the foundation of Boko Haram.

The former governor made this revelation while speaking as a guest speaker during the 2023 annual lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Kaduna branch, over the weekend.

Speaking on insecurity, the former governor emphasized that part of the solution to the security challenges bedevilling Nigeria, such as terrorism and banditry, is proper planning and budgeting. This, he believes, will eradicate the negative statistics of 20 million out-of-school children and change Nigeria’s story from being rated as the global poverty capital.

He says, “The primary purpose of government is the security of lives and property of the citizens. As Chief Security Officer of your state, you cannot claim an inability to secure your citizens. Yes, the officers of the security agencies might not have come from your state; they are federal officers posted to assist you in your state.

“Being proactive as a leader and follower also helps. When I arrived in Niger state, I found a security challenge involving nine people who went to a village in Mokwa local government. They had multiplied from nine in 2007 to 7,000 people and were involved in armed robbery and abducting women in the area, constituting themselves into a republic.

“I also discovered that many Governors had tried to do something but were probably frustrated by Abuja. In fact, two immigration officers sent to investigate the activities of the group became members.

“When I took a census, I discovered that more than 60% of the members were not Nigerians. The original Shekau and Abu Qaga were the leaders. I got the support of the Late President Musa Yar’adua to disperse them after compensating them and providing them transport to their destination in Nigeria, and the foreigners were taken to their borders.

“That action probably saved Niger State from being the foundation of Boko Haram, as we come to know they were regularly visiting the River Niger bridge. That the Federal Government would support any Governor who has done his homework is not in doubt,” he said.

Preferring a solution, former Governor Aliyu highlighted the importance of proper planning and budgeting: “Our planning must be people-centred, and our budget must be treated as the law that it is.

“If the planning is proper, we cannot be talking of 20 million children out of school; we cannot be described as the world’s poverty capital. We also cannot be facing the insecurity of banditry, Boko Haram, and armed robbery.

“With proper planning, we cannot have the level of corruption we have today. We often boast of our abundant human capital, natural resources, and rich cultural heritage. Unless we operationalize them, we shall remain at this level of boasting. Operationalizing them shall give us the opportunity to invest in education, especially girl-child education, to prioritize investment in healthcare infrastructure.

“We also need to go back to the basics of enhancing craft and vocational education while promoting entrepreneurship right from secondary school. The need for a review of our curriculum from elementary to tertiary education cannot be overemphasized because we have to be in tandem with what we need now and in the future,” he said.

Earlier at the event, the Kaduna State Chapter Chairman of NIPR, Haroun Malami, spoke to the lecture’s theme, ‘Demographic Transition, Ethical Resource, Sustainable Development: Reflections on Northern Nigeria.’

He said a study had shown Nigeria’s population increased from 186.1 million to 201.1 million between 2016 and 2019, indicating an increase of 8%, or an additional 15.9 million new populations in four years, with the northern region accounting for 68.67% of the new population. “For every 10 new children born in Nigeria between 2016 and 2019, seven were from northern states.”

Malami, however, said that it is imperative the country takes ownership of the narrative to create a strong, future-proof society for its youthful population, adding that “Central to sustainable development is efficient and effective resource management, which encapsulates economic, social, and environmental components and requires society to pursue a growth path that generates an optimal flow of income built on the twin principles of justice and equity.” (Sunday Tribune: Text, Excluding Headline)

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