If there is one person in the north who understands the impact of the growing rate of insurgency on the northern part of Nigeria, he is Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State.
Yuguda, who spoke on Monday while declaring open a one-day workshop organised by Arewa Youth Forum for youth volunteers from the region, said the northern part of the country had been completely destroyed economically as a result of the increasing attacks by insurgents.
Yuguda told the youths that the country’s economy is finished, because the peace and security which are the two indices for economic development have now disappeared.
“Coupled with the most corrupt attitudes of the people of the area precipitated by killings and unnecessary spilling of blood in the struggle to grab positions,” he said. “These are people that cannot obey simple traffic rules and join queue when situation calls for such.”
To him, the greatest economic trauma in the country is found in the northern part of the country to the extent that job creation and investments that would engage or empower the youth and major population of the people have been ruined even though the Federal Government had set up a committee to address problems associated with cattle routes.
“The future of the youth is being threatened and you need to rebuild the old bridges that united your people in the north together,” he added.
“I urged you to find your bearings and to also deliberate on issues affecting the north and look for ways of mitigating them and let’s proceed.”
Commenting, the National President and Project Director of Arewa Youth Forum on Conflict Mitigation and Peace Building, Gambo Gujungu, explained that the workshop was organised for participants from states in the north affected by conflicts.
He said the project was initiated for Kaduna, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Taraba states, which had past and immediate history of conflict and violence and that the project was also proposed to provide a community frame work for healing, conflict mitigation and to offer assurance to citizens.
