Aug. 12, 2013
The Borno State government says it planning to reconstruct 823 classrooms destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents following the gradual return of peace in the state.
Gov. Kashim Shettima made this known when he received members of the Borno Elders Forum yesterday.
Shettima said the plan was part of government’s agenda of “reconstruction, rehabilitation and reintegration to consolidate the return of peace after a prolonged Boko Haram crisis”.
He said government would also overhaul the health care system to meet the aspirations of the people.
“As we witness the gradual return of peace to the state, our major task is to embark on reconstruction of the 823 classrooms to allow our children go back to school. We will also create massive employment to engage our teeming youths in useful ventures because that is the only way we can safeguard the future,’’ Shettima said.
The governor pointed out that government must tackle the problem of unemployment to provide a permanent solution to the Boko Haram crisis.
“We have to explore avenues of creating jobs for the youths if we want to live. If we fail to address the problem now, the worst insurgency will happen in the nearest future,’’ he said.
He said government plans to invest heavily in the agricultural sector to provide jobs for the youths.
“We have just received information that about 100 containers carrying various irrigation equipment ordered from India have just arrived in the country. We are hoping that other equipment that we have ordered from other countries will soon arrive too,’’ the governor said. (NAN)