Stakeholders at Shinkafi security summit advocate access to food, quality education

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Stakeholders at the Umaru Shinkafi intelligence security and intelligence summit have advocated access to food and quality education as key to ending terrorist activities in the country.

The summit which held on 13th July 2021, themed: Socio-Economic Implications of Kidnapping and Banditry in Nigeria, was
was organized by late Umaru Aliyu Shinkafi Legacy Foundation.

Speaking at the summit, Borno State Governor, Prof Umara Zulum hinted that lack of access to education, health care, basic amenities, and food are tools that promote insecurity.

He mentioned that the inequality between elites and poor people are contributory factors that heighten insecurity.

“Access to Healthcare, access to food, and access to quality education are key to ending terrorist activities. Food insecurity is the worst form of insecurity”.

When asked by a participant on what his government is doing and to support widows in the state, Zulum stated that even before he became the governor of Borno state, the administration of Kashim Shettima which he served as Commissioner, had constructed houses for the widows and established schools within the housing estate so that the children of the widows can go to school.

He added that they trained them on skill acquisition as a means of livelihood for the widows.

Also speaking, the Governor of Imo state, Hope Odidika Uzodinma called on the entire security system to reflect on how Late Umaru Shinkafi would have handled the insecurity ravaging the country.

Speaking on the intercommunal and food security threats, he averred that Shinkafi would have opted for a grassroots approach to curtail societal attitudes.

He described the current situation as unfortunate saying that no investor would want to put his money in an unsafe environment.

However, the Governor noted improvements where he mentioned that Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) has tumbled over the past few months.

Earlier in his welcome address, Coordinator of the Umaru Shinkafi Legacy Foundation and former Governor of Zamfara state, Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi said that the choice of the theme and topics of discussion is apt and timely in light of the ideas of the Late Marafa.