News
Corps Members Urged To Sustain Courage Of Serving In Borno

Corps Members Urged To Sustain Courage Of Serving In Borno
By: Melvin Ibe
The corps members serving their mandatory one-year national youth service in Borno have been urged to sustain their courage in carrying out their service in the state.
It could be recalled that for over 13 years following the decade-long Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp was shut down, but with the emerging peace in the state, the Orientation Camp was recently reopened.

Speaking during their visit to the NYSC temporary orientation camp in Maiduguri, the Coordinator of Internal Diaspora Borno State Chapter, Chief Emmanuel Ugochukwu Egwudike (Go-Easy) , who led the leadership of the various non-indigenous tribes in the state to the camp, said their visit is part of their continuous effort and support to the state government, most importantly towards restoration of peace, hope, dignity, stability, and to boost the confidence of the newly arrived corps members.
Chief Egwudike assured the corps members that his members will do everything to give them maximum support and ensure that the service to their fatherland in the state ends remarkably well.

The Coordinator informed the corps members that the state government, under the leadership of Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, holds non-indigenes in the state in high esteem; hence, every December 25th, the Governor provides free transport to everyone who wishes to travel home to celebrate Christmas and the new year with loved ones.
We are here to welcome you as our brothers and sisters. Most of us have spent over 30 years in the state, and the majority of our successes and breakthroughs in life came from here. Our assurance to you is that you will never regret your decision to serve here.
The Governor has already given you a warm reception with gifts, and he has demonstrated that he is a detribalized Nigerian by assuring you of engagement in the services of the state. We are assuring you that many good things will come your way in the course of your stay in the state,” Egwudike said.
Further encouraging the corps members, the General Secretary of Internal Diasporans, Mr. Olusegun Asiwaju Alabi, who is from Oyo State, urged the corps members to see their postings to the state as a divine call destined by God.
He assured that the leadership of the association will, from time to time, visit the corps members to ensure their wellbeing and good condition of service.
The President of the Imo State Welfare Association, Chief Francis Meke, assured the corps members that none of them would regret their service in the state, noting that Borno, which is known as the home of peace, has raised many prominent Nigerians from other parts of the country.
In a similar vein, Chief Abraham Kanti, the President General of the TIV community in Borno State and an entrepreneur, urged the corps members to key into entrepreneurship, where opportunity abounds in the state, while Chief John Azimeye, the President General of the Niger-Delta community in the state, urged the corps members to take fear out of their minds and embrace the service.
Responding, Obani Prince Azubuike, the Ezendigbo of the Orientation Camp and a graduate of transport management technology at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), said before coming to the state, he heard different negative stories, but on arrival at the camp, the reverse was the case.
He commended the state governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, for his benevolence to the corps members and the warm reception he gave them, and he promised to finish his service in the state.
Corps Members Urged To Sustain Courage Of Serving In Borno
News
RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State

RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State
…Making it the 20th State to Benefit from the Support
By: Our Reporter
The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Program, launched in Abuja in March 2024 to provide monthly support to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, has reached Yobe State—making it the 20th state to benefit from the initiative.
Since its inception, the program has covered Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, and Sokoto States before arriving in Yobe.
With generous support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another industrialist who prefers to remain anonymous, assorted food items were delivered, bringing relief to many households, particularly those with disabilities.
The First Lady and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, noted that donors provide two truckloads of food items to each beneficiary state for onward distribution. Represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, she highlighted Yobe as a major beneficiary of RHI programs and interventions.
These include:

- The Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economists Empowerment Program, which supported 500 women with ₦50,000 each.
- The RHI Women Agricultural Support Scheme, where 20 women received ₦500,000 each.
- A ₦68.9 million grant from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to the Young Farmers Club.
- Annual financial support to senior citizens, with 100 beneficiaries receiving ₦100,000 each in 2023 and 250 beneficiaries receiving ₦200,000 each.
- A ₦50 million financial grant to 1,000 petty traders.
- The Women in ICT Program, aimed at empowering women in the digital economy.
According to Senator Tinubu, these interventions are designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni represented by his Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the initiative, noting that the state has aligned with RHI through various empowerment programs for women, children, and vulnerable groups. These include the distribution of household items, skill acquisition schemes, and post-insurgency recovery programs that have economically empowered many women.
The State Coordinator of RHI and Wife of the Yobe State Governor, Hajiya Hafsat Kollere Buni, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for extending such impactful support to Yobe State. She also looked forward to stronger collaborations to further project the ideals of RHI and improve the lives of the people.
Also present at the event was Dr. Ubong Udoh, Managing Director of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, one of the key donors to the program.- RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State


News
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
By: Zagazola Makama
Former National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.), has warned that Nigeria’s fight against insurgency will remain elusive without national cohesion and a united front across society.
Monguno stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said Boko Haram and other violent groups had thrived by exploiting Nigeria’s divisions, stressing that disunity among citizens, political actors, and institutions weakened the country’s capacity to defeat terrorism.
“Without national cohesion, insurgency will not end. Terrorists feed on our fault lines – ethnic, religious, political – and they weaponise them against us. If we remain divided, no amount of military might will deliver lasting peace,” Monguno said.
He urged Nigerians to rise above parochial sentiments and embrace a spirit of patriotism, solidarity, and common purpose. According to him, the fight against insurgency must go beyond the battlefield to include reconciliation, justice, and inclusive governance.
The retired General emphasised that the scars left by Boko Haram were not just physical but also psychological and social, making unity a vital condition for national healing.
“The book reminds us that security is not just the work of soldiers. It is the responsibility of leaders, institutions, and citizens. Unless we build cohesion, insurgency will continue to mutate in different forms,” he added.
Monguno commended Gen. Irabor for documenting his experience, describing the work as a guide that combines history, strategy, and national lessons for the future.
The event was attended by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Defence, service chiefs, traditional rulers, diplomats, and senior government officials.
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
News
Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach

Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach
By: Zagazola Makama
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said Nigeria cannot defeat insurgency through military operations alone, stressing the need to embrace soft power and address root causes of insecurity.
Kukah made this known in Abuja on Thursday while reviewing Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said the country’s reliance on military doctrines and repeated counter-insurgency operations had failed to produce lasting peace because Boko Haram represented an ideology, not just an armed threat.
“For years, we have had Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Restore Order, Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Safe Haven, and many others. Yet, when one operation fails, another is launched. These operations have not ended the insurgency because you cannot fight an idea with weapons alone,” Kukah said.
The cleric argued that describing the insurgency only in military terms forecloses other sources of information and non-kinetic solutions that are critical to peacebuilding.
According to him, Boko Haram’s struggle is framed as a jihad, and many of its fighters see death as martyrdom, making them indifferent to conventional deterrence.
“The challenge before us is not merely about defeating insurgents on the battlefield, but about understanding the soft issues of life and death. Guns cannot build peace; soft power must complement military power,” he said.
Kukah pointed to chapters 11, 12 and 13 of Irabor’s book, which emphasise reconciliation, good governance, justice, and national healing as critical conditions for security.
He praised the author’s reflections for going beyond military strategy, describing them as “the writings of a priest” that call for dialogue, reforms and moral renewal.
The bishop added that Nigeria must prioritise structural reforms, political inclusion, patriotism, and judicial integrity to tackle grievances that feed extremism.
“The urgency now is to invest in soft power – in human development, reconciliation, and building trust in institutions. Military operations can only create space; it is ideas and justice that will sustain peace,” Kukah said.
The event attracted former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, senior government officials, service chiefs, diplomats, and other dignitaries.
End
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