Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that provision of jobs in North-East of Nigeria will definitely reduce the scourge of insurgency in the northeast.
The former President stated this at the zero hunger programme for Nigeria in Maiduguri on Thursday
Obasanjo said that twenty-five out of twenty-six young people were participating in insurgency because they do not have work to do.
Chief Obasanjo said that the provision of jobs by Zero hunger programme to the young people of the northeast and Nigeria if well coordinated by the states concerned will divert attention away from insurgency.
“Out of the seventeen sustainable development goals, set by the united nations, zero hunger has a validation for fourteen of them which is why it cannot be ignored by any African.
“Let me assure you that we are not trying to bring more policies beyond what exists now, we have many of these policies that can take us to where we must be.
“As a matter of fact, we are trying our best to help the sector to grow regardless of lack of funds and the ability to ensure that the agro sector is resuscitated. This is what we are into, making sure that hunger is put at bay especially in the northeastern corner of Nigeria.
“Indeed twenty five out of twenty-six were into Boko Haram because they had no job as such zero hunger will break the circle of this dangerous way which is not making progress in the country. We will not relent till they get to the bottom of that matter.” He noted.
Obasanjo further called on partnering governments to bring the young men into the programme for proper coordination, adding that it would surely help in fighting the backbone of insurgency in the state