Funds Spent on Security Scandalous, Can’t be Exhausted on Education in 100yrs, Says PLAN Country Director

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

Country Director of PLAN International,  Charles Usie, has stated that so much funds have been spent to tackle insecurity in Nigeria but the challenge remained unresolved.

He said with what had been spent over the years to curb insecurity, the country will in the next 100 years be unable to exhaust the resources if it was channelled towards education.Speaking in Abuja at a one day meeting on youth exchange of the EU Lake Chad Basin project, which had youths from the affected countries, namely Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger, the country director noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari

 administration had given one billion dollars twice for security.

The meeting is an exchange programme where young people had gathered to share their experiences on what it means to be a youth ambassador for peace and security in their communities, and also sharing their challenges, as well as learn from each other some of the best practices in their regions.

“If you check the amount of money the Nigerian government has spent on security, we will not be able to spend such on education for the next 100 years. Starting from the last three consecutive years, the Buhari administration has given one billion dollars twice for security and we all know that ended. Imagine if we put that money on education, we will not be where we are in terms of education.”

He said when the project was launched,  young people who could represent the affected communities were selected in a process that was participatory, noting that not all the local governments in the affected states of Yobe, Adamawa and Borno were included with respect to impact caused by the security challenge.

“Over 30 young people are representing these countries. The young people are representing from northern Nigeria where conflict is highest. The Lake Chad Basin actually cut across northern part of Nigeria linked to the Lake Chad territory so we are looking at Yobe, Borno and Adamawa and the idea about it is that those are the epicentre of the conflict and these are the people who have felt the conflict directly. Some of these people, their families have been killed by Boko Haram and they have experienced insecurity at first hand. 

“So over the last three years, we have been doing a lot of capacity building in digital sensitisation, digital enableness, data collection, data analysis, peace and security models and  we use these ambassadors to propagate peace and stability in these communities,” he said.