The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Mathew Kukah, has listed the lack of public awareness and commitment from relevant stakeholders involved in the control and management of the country as the genesis behind the springing up of the insurgency in the northeast of Nigeria.
Mr Kukah revealed this on Saturday in Maiduguri at a 3-day workshop on de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration in the post Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria.
A founder of The Kukah Center, a nongovernmental organization based in Abuja, Mr Kukah said he strongly believed that Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria will come to past with time.
He said the insurgency is a lesson from God to test our faith, saying that the only solution to Boko Haram is education.
He called on the people to continue to pray for the end of the insurgency and peace to return to the region.
The bishop commended community, religious and ethnic group leaders in the state and region for preaching the gospel of peace, unity and hope to their people.
The cleric thanked the management of the University of Maiduguri for leaving the doors of the institution open for the students’ academic activities in spite of all the threats and attacks from the Boko Haram insurgents.
“I must commend the university for leaving its doors open for more young people to be educated which is the antidote of Boko Haram. I once heard the Governor of Borno State Kashim Shettima saying that if Boko Haram is against education, the only solution to them is education which is why inspite of all odds your institution is still open,” he said.
The firmness of the management of the university for refusing to close the school despite all threats and attacks has informed its stance on entrenching education as the only solution to the situation, he said.
Mr Kukah noted that it was not in the interest of Nigeria for anybody to support Boko Haram insurgency, urging people to learn from history and ask the Germans how they survived after the war.
He said: “I believe in the power of the supremacy of God and it is important for Nigerians to understand that we are still understanding the blessings of God because some people have seen conflicts for up to fifty years and are wishing they never embarked on it.”
