B/ Haram insurgency resurging in N/East, Senator Ndume raises alarm

*”In Maiduguri, we live in more or less glorified prisons”

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Contrary to usual claims by the Presidency that Boko Haram insurgents have been decimated in the North Eastern part of the country, a Senator representing Borno South senatorial district, Ali Ndume on Tuesday raised the alarm that the deadly radicals are resurging again in the area.

Ndume, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, made this disclosure after plenary while briefing newsmen on his Bill seeking to establish Federal College of Education Gwoza, Borno State, which passed second reading.

He said the insurgents are heightening their activities in the three North East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

Ndume said the resurgence of insurgency has become a grave concern for governments, leaders and inhabitants of the area and that concerted efforts is needed to safeguard lives and properties.

The senator argued that insurgency activities will cannot deter the people of Borno State from accessing educational opportunities which his bill seeking the establishment of the Federal College if Education, Gworza, sets to achieve.

He said “the problem we are facing in Borno and to some extent, in Yobe and Adamawa is the insurgency is resurging again and that is a matter of concern”.

“Last week 30 soldiers were killed in Mainok. On the highway, yesterday, just 30km from Maiduguri the town was overrun by Boko Haram. it took concerted effort of the armed forces but we lost a major and two soldiers. In Rann Local Government the same thing happened.

“In Maiduguri we live in more or less a glorified prison but it is safe, infact safer that most places. From 4pm or 5pm you cannot go in or come out. It is only one road that leads in to Borno State.There is only one entry and exit that is Maidugri to Damaturu which lead us to the Kano Road.

“Inside Maiduguri you can sleep with your two eyes closed. Though we don’t have light, so even if you don’t close your eyes you will be in darkness.

“Its not funny, people are talking here because people have minimum comfort in this country. In Maiduguri or Borno State, we are talking about security, that is what you are worried about.

“In Maiduguri for the past three months we don’t have light nothing and it is Ramadan, the last time I went temperature was as much as 47°c. You cannot run a generator continuously even if you have a generator it is prohibitive to be fueling it. The last time I went there deisel was selling for N285 per litre, who will afford that?”

Urging Nigerians not to be deterred, the senator said “part of the solution is we should not give up or show the insurgents that Nigerians are overwhelmed but to show that despite their terrorists acts or whatever against western education, more institutions would be established”.

Ndume, however, charged the Federal Government to be alive to the responsibility of securing lives and properties of the citizenry.

He said “what I will say and that is what we are saying is that the Government should stand up and for real and make sure that Nigeria is secured”.

He said when that problem is taken care of, insurgent attacks on schools will reduce because the pepertrators are focused on the schools where they can get a cluster of students

Speaking further he said there is no correlation between festering of insurgency and the call to suspend establishment of more institutions in the troubled areas.

“The problem in this country is not that of request and the need for more institutions, the problem you are talking about centers on security and that does not only affect the institutions”.

The proposed institution, according to Ndume , was to bring quality change in education by focusing on teacher education through teaching and learning innovations.

He said the College also seeks to provide and promote sound basic education training as a foundation for the development of Nigeria, taking into account indigenous culture and the need to enhance national unity.

If passed, Senator Ndume said the establishment of the college would help in transforming the educational fortunes of the people of Borno South, a Senatorial District that has existed without a higher institution of learning despite its size and population.

“It may also interest you to know that the establishment of this College would be an addition to the only existing higher institution (University of Maiduguri) in the State.

“The enactment of this Bill will help not only in transforming the decayed educational infrastructures in Nigeria, but also help in the development of the hitherto devastated North East Region of the country,” he added.