A former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kebbi State, Mallam Salihu Isa Nataro, has warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to end terrorism and other violent crimes will fail unless his administration tackles the worsening hunger and unemployment in the country.

Nataro, who made the remarks in a statement on Wednesday, also blamed former President Goodluck Jonathan for the escalation of Boko Haram activities, alleging that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government failed to give the insurgency the seriousness it deserved.

According to him, Nigeria lost an early opportunity to resolve the Boko Haram crisis peacefully when the group reportedly expressed willingness to limit its activities to Quranic teaching.

“But President Jonathan did not show seriousness in pursuing peace by listening to trusted representatives, who promised to restrain themselves to Maiduguri Road in Kaduna State for a specific time,” he said.

Nataro further accused Jonathan’s administration of sabotaging attempts at dialogue by authorising the arrest of Boko Haram emissaries.

He added that although many Nigerians hoped for renewed engagement when former President Muhammadu Buhari took office, those expectations were not met.

“When Buhari came to power everybody thought he would renegotiate with Boko Haram, but he ended up adding fuel to the fire in a bid to save his name as a Muslim from blame,” he alleged.

The APC chieftain argued that military force alone cannot end insurgency, kidnapping and robbery unless hunger, which he described as the root cause of insecurity, is addressed.

“It would be very difficult for President Tinubu or any international force to crush insecurity unless the menace is approached through curtailing hunger,” he said.

He urged the Federal Government and wealthy Nigerians to invest heavily in agriculture, noting that job creation remains the most effective tool for long-term peace.

Nataro advised state governments to provide long-term credit facilities for unemployed youths and procure agricultural machinery to engage them productively.

He also called for a fresh negotiation with militants, including detained members of Boko Haram and ISWAP, proposing that the government offer them farm equipment and allow them to engage in peaceful Islamic preaching.

Nataro claimed that many insurgents are primarily interested in Quranic recitation and do not promote violence, urging the government to consider compensating the group over the death of its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, rather than spending billions on what he described as second-hand security equipment.

The public finance expert also pushed for sweeping reforms in the Nigerian military, including the development of locally produced drones and robotics in partnership with Iran. The same, he said, should be applied to the police to reduce wage burdens.

On governance, Nataro criticised President Tinubu for appointing what he described as incapable hands into his cabinet, alleging that some aides lack the competence to implement policies aligned with global realities.

He urged Tinubu to compel the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to publish its financial statements for two years and to check alleged reckless spending at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which he said must “stick to supervising commercial banks.”

Nataro welcomed the introduction of forest guards but recommended merging the NDLEA, NSCDC and Immigration Service into one border-security agency equipped with drone technology to reduce costs and avoid future abuses.

“This will enable the public to trust President Tinubu and also give us courage to market our President for a second term,” he added. (Nigerian Tribune)