By Abdulkareem Haruna
The deputy governor of Borno state, Usman Kadafur, has identified poverty and single-minded allegiance to religious clerics by the uneducated populace as major contributing factors to the Boko Haram-induced insecurity in the region.
Kadafur explained that the people’s unreasonable reliance on some of the skewed teachings of clerics, without exposure to opposing views or access to alternative sources of knowledge, has fueled extremism in the state.
He noted that the majority of individuals in rural areas of Borno lack basic education, leaving them vulnerable to skewed religious teachings propagated by traditional clerics.
Kadafur’s statements highlight the urgent need for increased access to education as a means of promoting religious tolerance and countering extremist ideologies and even globalization.
The deputy governor made this comment while hosting executive intelligence management course (EIMC) from the Nigeria Institute for Security Studies, syndicate-3, who were in the state on a study tour.
Visiting members of syndicate-3, who are among 89 participants in an ongoing ten-month EIMC, were welcomed to the state by Mr. Kadafur.
The deputy governor praised the group’s visit, while hoping that their tour of assignment in the state would bring about solutions that would further supports the state’s post-insurgency recovery programme. He also highlighted the state government’s investment in the security sector over the past four years, which he said has resulted in the attainment of relative peace in the region.
Kadafur emphasized two key achievements of the state government: the formulation of a 25-year development plan and a ten-year strategic action plan, which serve as guides for post-insurgency programs.
“Our people are, by default, very religious,” Kadafur explained.
“Islam came to Borno centuries before it reached many other parts of Africa. As a result, our people tend to give more weight to the words of religious clerics than even those of their parents.”
The deputy governor’s comments highlight the importance of recognizing the cultural and religious context of Borno state when addressing security challenges and promoting social development. However, he noted that many people in the state lack access to education and are therefore susceptible to misguided teachings from religious clerics.
To address this trend, he said his boss, Governor Babagana Zulum, has invested in education and provided displaced individuals with opportunities for economic activity as they return to their ancestral homes.
These efforts are in line with the state’s 25-year development plan, which includes the successful return of internally displaced persons to their communities.
By prioritizing education and economic opportunities, the Borno state government is working to address root causes of conflict and promote long-term stability and prosperity in the region. This approach recognizes the importance of addressing underlying social and economic issues in addition to security concerns.
According to Adamu Abdul Shehu, a top official of the Institute, 15 participants from Syndicate 3 of the Executive Intelligence Management Courses team were in the state to engage with key stakeholders and gain a better understanding of the root cause of conflict.
Syndicate 3 is a part of the class of 89 participants enrolled in this year’s course of the EIMC. The remaining 74 participants are currently on study tours of five northern states in Nigeria, namely Kaduna, Kebbi, and Nasarawa.
Shehu explained that the participants are drawn from 35 agencies in Nigeria, as well as four African countries – Gambia, Niger Republic, Chad, and Rwanda. They are undergoing a 10-month course at the National Institute, which will lead to the award of Fellow Security Institute (FSI) if they are found worthy in character and learning.
He said the purpose of the course is to impact on the participants the required knowledge to address the dynamic and complex security challenges in the respective countries as well as foster interagency cooperation and international cooperation.
He said the theme of the cause for this year is Globalization And Regional Economic Integration; Implication For Sustainable Development In Africa.
As part of the requirement for the award of FSI, the participants will undertake local, state, regional, and world tours.
The leader of the delegation and a deputy director at the Institute, Ogbeshe, informed the syndicates would be visiting another six selected states in the south with the hope of assessing the situation, doing a peer review, and then making a comparison of their findings to produce a document that would prefer a better solution on how to improve the security to promote globalization.
“At the end of this, we will compile our findings and make a comprehensive presentation in an occasion which his excellency would be invited to witness and judge what we feel can be done better than what is going on right now.”
Bay States News 