Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Federal Government to properly research, articulate and disseminate lesson of the Boko Haram insurgency, so that such mistakes cannot be repeated.
Obasanjo who made the call, weekend, when he paid a courtesy call to Governor Kashim Shettima at the Government House Maiduguri, as part of his official visit to University of Maiduguri, said the research became necessary to that Nigeria and other nations will learn from the mistakes that led to Boko Haram insurgency.
He said “the more we have men of good will coming to Maiduguri, the better because people will start realizing that things are changing for the better and the situation is improving. Our military are ascending on the militants and whenever they recaptured the territories once occupied by Boko Haram terrorists, land mines planted by the terrorist, should be cleared completely before people return to such communities.”
While commiserating with the government and people of Borno state, Obasanjo said the people of Borno and indeed the north east have suffered a lot due to the activities of Boko Haram through mass killing, abduction of single and married women, recruitment of child soldiers and wanton destructions of economic activities, adding that though Borno state and entire north-east is not out of the wood, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
He said governments at all level should also take agriculture with all seriousness it deserves, as agriculture is no longer an ordinary occupation but a serious business, if Nigeria really wants to fight unemployment and stop depending on oil.
Responding Governor Kashim Shettima said Borno State has seen hell, as women are abducted and raped, teenagers recruited into soldiers but gradually, the situation is improving, as Nigeria’s gallant military has recaptured almost all territories under Boko Haram occupation.
He said “over 1 million private home were destroyed, 5,335 classrooms, 201 health centres, 1,630 water sources, 665 municipal buildings all destroyed by the insurgents in the state. We have now commenced reconstruction of houses and other public building in most of our liberated local government that are considered”.
Governor Shettima said Obasanjo is the first former President is visiting the Government House Maiduguri, saying that if it were during his regime that Boko Haram insurgency happened, he would have acted on time to nip it on bud but it took 19 days after the abduction of the Chibok girls before former President Goodluck called him.
During the two days visit Obasanjo is schedule to be honoured by University of Maiduguri, inspect and commission ongoing and completed projects, paid homage to Shehu of Borno before departing the state.
