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Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo recently spoke about his discussions with leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist group during its early days of insurgency in the Northeast region of the country.
At an event in Lagos, he revealed that he had met with representatives of the group to understand their motivations and found that poverty and unemployment were driving them towards crime.
He called for urgent action to tackle the issue of over 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, warning that if left unaddressed, it could become a breeding ground for future Boko Haram members.
Obasanjo emphasized the importance of good governance and leadership in addressing the root causes of poverty and unemployment.
He urged the government to prioritize the well-being of its people and value their education and livelihoods.
Obasanjo stated, “During the early days of Boko Haram, when the man who started the movement was said to have been killed, I said I wanted to meet with the members of the group to talk to them and know what they wanted.
“I met with their representatives and found out that they needed nothing but a better life for themselves. Can we blame them for wanting a better life for themselves?
“They said they believed in Sharia Law. I told them that Sharia was not a problem in Nigeria. It is part of our constitution.”
The former President said many of the members of the insurgent group had no jobs despite going to school to attain a degree.
He added, “Do we blame them if after four years, they have no jobs? Are they not entitled to a livelihood? This boils down to one of the P’s of nation-building – politics – which talks about governance and leadership.
“If that (leadership) is not properly taken care of, every other thing will go haywire.”
He added, “We must ask, ‘What do we do with our people? How do we raise and value them? How do we value them?’
“We have over 20 million out-of-school children. Google how many countries in the world have less than 20m. That doesn’t worry us? Are you thinking there will be no Boko Haram tomorrow?
“Those are the foundations of your Boko Haram tomorrow. That should be our concern. We should not say it is externally induced. Is poverty also externally induced? Poverty is the conscious, unconscious choice of our leaders. If we say no; it would be no. If we say yes; it would be yes.”
This article was updated 1 month ago
