Insurgents have ruined Northern economy, says Yuguda

Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State said on Monday that the economy of the Northern region has been shattered by the activities of insurgents.
Yuguda made the assertion in Bauchi while declaring open a one-day workshop organised by Arewa Youth Forum for youth volunteers from the region.
“Your economy is finished, as we have lost the peace and security which are the two indices for economic development.
“Coupled with the most corrupt attitudes of the people of the area precipitated by killings and unnecessary spilling of blood in the struggle to grab positions.
“These are people that cannot obey simple traffic rules and join queue when situation calls for such,” Yuguda said.
He said that the region had been traumatised to the extent that job creation and investments that would engage or empower the youth and major population of the people have been ruined.
However, Yuguda hinted that the Federal Government has set up a committee to address problems associated with cattle routes, especially the Ilorin to Lagos, Otukpo to Port Harcourt, Maiduguri to Lokoja gazetted cattle routes.
He emphasised that the taking over of gazetted cattle routes by farmers were some of the major crises bedevilling herdsmen and farmers in the country.
The governor stressed that “the future of the youth is being threatened and you need to rebuild the old bridges that united your people in the north together.
“I urged you to find your bearings and to also deliberate on issues affecting the north and look for ways of mitigating them and let’s proceed.”
Mr Gambo Gujungu, National President and Project Director of Arewa Youth Forum on Conflict Mitigation and Peace Building, had earlier said the workshop was organised for participants from conflict states in the North.
Gujungu said that the project was initiated for Kaduna, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Taraba states, which has past and immediate history of conflict and violence.
He said that the project was also proposed to provide a community frame work for healing, conflict mitigation and to offer assurance to citizens.
The youth leader underscored the need to tackle the immediate and remote causes of problems confronting the region at the communal level.