Insurgency: We’re Under Pressure Feeding 77,000 IDPs – Gov Inuwa
BY WILLIAM ATTAH, GOMBE – Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has raised an alarm that the State is under intense pressure hosting an estimated 77,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from neighbouring States due to insurgency in North-east Nigeria.
He said the unfortunate development has exerted so much pressure on the existing social amenities and security architecture of the state, especially against the backdrop of scarce resources.
Addressing a team of participants and faculty officials from the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Abuja on a study tour of Gombe State, Governor Yahaya said a strong nexus exist between the environmental challenges and insecurity facing this country, citing the incessant cases of farmers-herders conflict and banditry in different parts of the country.
He lauded the Institute for choosing Gombe State to undertake the study and expressed confidence that their study will assist in bringing an end to the mounting security challenges in the country and Africa at large.
According to Governor Yahaya, Gombe State has maintained a model status for other States in terms of security and environmental management based on deliberate efforts and well thought-out plans to put the state on the right track.
He said amid the enormous security and other socio-economic challenges in the country and particularly the North-East, Gombe remains the most peaceful State in the region despite being at the centre.
The Governor attributed the environmental challenges affecting the Northern part of Nigeria to factors that include desertification due to indiscriminate felling of trees; shrinking of Lake Chad; Abandonment of the Great Green Wall Project; Population explosion; and Improper agricultural practices among others.
“We initiated Gombe Goes Green Project with the target of planting one million trees annually where we simultaneously provided engagement to youths while protecting and preserving the environment”, he said.
Speaking at the occasion, Leader of the delegation and Syndicate Supervisor, Mr Jibrin Yaro, appreciated the Governor for the warm reception accorded the team and his administration’s deliberate efforts in mitigating the global phenomenon.
He said; “I would like to thank you for your efforts in combating the menace of climate change in your State because we made certain observations on our way coming yesterday and we noticed obvious signs of challenges brought upon by the global climate change which we are here to understudy.
“We are also here to tap on your repository of knowledge with a view to enriching our research findings.”
The Study Tour Group (STG) comprised 15 Course participants of Syndicate Five drawn from 21 Strategic Agencies in Nigeria and four African Countries of The Gambia, Ghana, Niger and Rwanda as well as five faculty members from the Institute.
The Executive Intelligence Management Course participants were in Gombe to interrogate the course theme for this year which is; “The global climate challenge; prospects and priorities for economic development and conflict resolution in Africa” with a view to obtaining real-time experience on environmental issues in the state, their security and development implications and how Gombe State Government is managing them.
