Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has identified illiteracy and poverty as major contributing factors to the lingering insecurity in the country.
In a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, said Governor Alia made this known while lecturing on the topic, ‘Insecurity and Education in Nigeria and the quest for development’ at the Quarterly Lecture Series of the Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, formerly, University of Abuja.
Alia recalled that the past decades in Nigeria had witnessed an unprecedented level of insecurity such as the Boko Haram insurgency, “which happens to be an attack on western education, banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, herders and farmer’s clashes that resulted into several deaths and massive destruction of property, making
national security threat a major issue for the government.”
According to the statement, the governor also identified other major drivers of insecurity as unemployment, inequality, weak institutions, ethno-religious tensions, poor governance and declining social values.
To address the security challenges in the country, Governor Alia suggested a good public service and strong institutions, stressing that the public service is responsible for delivering essential services and supporting the needs of the state and its people.
“Through efficient and effective public service delivery, we can build stronger and more resilient communities, foster economic growth, and promote social cohesion”.
The governor emphasised that inclusive, equitable and quality education, lifelong learning, technical skills, teacher development and safe learning environments be encouraged at all levels to enhance peace and promote sustainability.
He said education when intentionally employed, will always serve as a foundational, long – term model for combating insecurity in Nigeria by addressing its root causes such as illiteracy, ignorance, poverty, religious extremism and unemployment.
“Rather than using force and media threats, quality, accessible, compulsory and functional education system fosters social cohesion, religions tolerance, and economic empowerment which are crucial for building a peaceful society” the governor added.
He called for a continued strengthening of the Nigeria educational system and the pursue of complementary constitutional reforms, including the establishment of State Police, to enhance the security architecture, noting that such measures will promote peace, good governance and sustainable national development.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Hakeem Awehinmi commended Governor Alia for honoring the invitation to serve as the first guest Lecture on the platform, saying his well researched presentation will add value to the quality of scholarship in the university.
