By Suzan Edeh

Bauchi—Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State, said yesterday that the state was hosting more than one million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, stressing that poverty and ignorance were fueling the activities of insurgency in the northeastern part of the country.

Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar

Governor Abubakar spoke yesterday when he received a  federal government delegation alongside European Union, United Nation and World bank,  on Recovery and Peace Assessment for the northeast led by Wakili Adamu.

He said due to the influx of IDPS in the state, the facilities and infrastructures of the state had been overstretched, contending that when underlying factors of ignorance and poverty were addressed, they would go a long way to reducing insurgency in the region and IDPs in the state.

According to him: “The effect of insurgency is felt by states like Bauchi State because of the multiplier effect of the displacement of persons who are now finding succour in the state. Indeed, rebuilding infrastructure is a very important aspect of your mission in the northeast, but addressing the underlying factors of insurgency is much more important than rebuilding infrastructures.

”Why I’m saying this is that poverty and ignorance pervading the region if not addressed, will provide a ready ground for another crazy person to surface in the future and create problem.

”We may be able to tackle Boko Haram today, but if we are not careful and continue the way we are going by not looking into this critical issue, I am afraid we will still find this same monster of insurgency resurfacing again.”.

Earlier, leader of the team, Wakili Adamu said the delegation was in the state to conduct a joint assessment mission aimed at facilitating peaceful coexistence within the people of the state.