On The Reasons for Insurgency! -By Manasseh Allen

Ten years after the first attacked launched on Nigerian State by Boko Haram, I still read our Governor said, Boko haram is as a result of poverty.

No one is denying the fact that there are poor people in the state and the region, but poverty is never responsible for Boko haram.

Some claimed it was illiteracy, and even at that, it was never responsible for the insurgency.

Without denying that theses factors might have contributed in a way or the other, they are the less likely any major causes.

Most of the main proponents and promoters of Boko haram insurgency were highly educated people in both western and islamic Education.

Commissioners, civil servants, businessmen, graduates, were all involved and some are mega donors for the sects.

Many graduates surrendered their certificates and joined the sects without any compulsion..

Few days ago I was discussing with some rescued victims, some of them told me they are comfortable with the teaching is the sect, and they said we pray the same kind of prayers and we do fast together, we are the same. Until that is cured, until the narratives of extremism, of seeing that your religion is more important than the others, u till all of us treated this mans’ definition of religious superiority, nothing will change..

It is was poverty or illiteracy only, it would have started with the most poorest and in the poorest communities, not with senior civil servants actively working and earning their monthly payment/salaries

Leaders like the Governors of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, must Work on the discriminations, intolerance, Extremisms, absence of laws and intelligence and lack of enforcement of laws and order. Allowing people to mount microphone and megaphones and keep spewing hate is not poverty, or absence of education but share mischief and mostly are coming from known and respected Mallams.

In ten years, what exactly are the measurable wins and fixes that have been done as compared to the multi billion dollars spent on the northeast? What are the times given the measure the deliverables?

Government officials downplay the problems when their weaknesses and inefficiency is being exposed and questioned, but would want to escalate the challenges and the needs in the area when they want to present requests for more fundings. We want a funding mechanism that matches the visible deliverables and palpable achievements commensurate with the funds spent.

In as much as we know the elements that predisposes to crimes to include poverty and illiteracy, insurgency, extremism, and criminality is not limited to those poor illiterates alone. Most of the national woes, corruption, embezzlement and even armed Robbery and abductions are not exclusive preserve of the poor and illiterates

Nor State is toxic with intolerance, even with all the Local and International NGOs, we still have seriously palpable extremism, intolerance, partiality with the camps, and even during recruitments and more.

We all must agree to work toward complete change of the narratives, to counter it actively by suppressing what is currently at play and shape the dialogue

Make I stop here small.