troubled land

How the seed of Boko Haram was sown when I
was a kid — Ex-Minister Nweke
Ibanga Isine -
The Director-General, Nigerian Economic Summit
Group, NESG, Frank Nweke, Jnr. has advised the
Nigerian Government to properly fund education
and healthcare to reduce unemployment and
insecurity in the country.
Mr. Nweke, a former Minister of Information, who
spoke to PREMIUM TIMES in an interview, said the
high level of insecurity and unemployment in the
country are caused by the failure of government to
address the core needs of the citizenry.
He noted that the quality of education in Nigeria
does not offer the needed skills for young people
to function in a technologically-driven world.
Besides, Mr. Nweke argued that only a healthy and
educated population can contribute to national
growth and development.
In an emotion-laden voice Mr. Nweke said, “As a
child, I watched as the seeds of Boko Haram were
sown in Maiduguri, where I grew up. As we were
taken to school every day, we saw the kids sitting
under trees being indoctrinated.
“As we returned from school in the afternoon, we
saw the same children at the roundabouts, begging
for alms and as we went to catechism in the
evening, we found them back under the trees
receiving their own religious studies.
“Majority of them did not attend any formal school.
Today, they have become the cause of insurgency
to the nation; a nation that failed them.”
He insisted that leaders of Nigeria at all levels
failed millions of children and young people by
paying lip service to education, healthcare and
social welfare.
Unless the country deliberately creates workable
educational, healthcare and welfare policies and
implement them consistently, insecurity, ignorance,
poverty and disease will continue, he said.
The former minister of information said it was
wrong for the government to classify education and
healthcare as social issues, noting that they were
core to attaining national growth and development.
He argued, “No country can develop by accident.
Development philosophy, development strategy,
implementation of programmes and policies of
government must be deliberate and has to be
consistent and sustained.
“Education and health should not be classified as
social services, these are not social services.
These are core economic issues that drive
development.
“Why do you classify them as social? How can we
expect to make progress without an educated and
skilled populace? How can we make progress
without a healthy populace?
“If you have an educated but unhealthy population,
you cannot make progress and when you are
healthy and uneducated, you cannot make
progress.
“Genuine progress is driven by education and
effective healthcare. That’s just the truth of the
matter. These are the two things that drive
economic development and human progress.”
Mr. Nweke therefore called on the government to
consciously educate its citizenry, impart skills in
them and make them healthy.
He drew attention of the government to its
Ghanaian counterpart which has a Ministry of
Children’s Affairs, adding that that government
understands the concept of sustainable and
wholesome development.
He said, “Ghana has a Ministry for Children’s
Affairs; it underscores the fact that they understand
the concept of sustainable and wholesome
development.
“They understand that from the point of conception
to nursing and other phases of a child’s life; is
when the life of a human being can be nurtured.
“That is when countries begin to prepare their
people to be responsible citizens and lay the
foundation for their education and health and
overall well-being.”