Insurgency: Borno gov’t seeks assistance to reconstruct destroyed infrastructures
Insurgency: Borno gov’t seeks assistance to reconstruct destroyed infrastructures
The government of Borno State government has implored the Federal Government to assist in replacing infrastructures worth $5bn destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents since the start of their deadly campaign in the North-East.
The Board Chairman of Borno State Security Trust Fund, Ambassador Mustapha Aliyu, made the appeal on Tuesday.
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He said, “Public and private infrastructures destroyed by the insurgency in the North-East was estimated to be worth about $6bn, and Borno State bore about 70 per cent of the destruction worth about $5bn.”
Aliyu, who said this while receiving a visiting team from the National Institute of Security Studies, added that “We will appeal to the Federal Government to assist in the reconstruction of these infrastructures.”
He also appealed to the Federal Government to tighten security across borders with neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic to curtail the influx of small arms and light weapons into the state.
Speaking further, Aliyu said, “The porosity of the Nigerian borders, which facilitates movement of small arms and light weapons as well as other dangerous equipment.”
“One of the huge opportunities we have been able to attain is the management of surrendered Boko Haram and ISWAP members, which presents an opportunity to understand the perspectives of weapons and ammunition existing in conflict areas.”
Aliyu said the opportunity afforded the trust fund and the Borno State government a further opportunity to integrate the repentant insurgents into national conversations on a strengthened system of management of small arms and light weapons.
Punch News reports that the team leader and Deputy Commandant of the National Institute for Security Studies, Dedacus Egbeji, said the Syndicate 3 of Course 16 participants of the institute were in Borno to interact with key agencies of the state government on globalisation, an implication for regional integration and sustainable development in Africa.