Ali Ndume, Nigeria’s senate majority leader, on Friday, September 2, 2016, raised the alarm that if something urgent was not done, a war that would be worse than the Boko Haram insurgency might break out in the North-East, especially in Borno State.
Ndume said this at a cocktail organised to mark the official inauguration of Get Involved Initiative, a pet project of Aisha Buhari, the wife of Nigeria’s president, General Muhammadu Buhari.
The project is aimed at combating malnutrition in the North East, which was destroyed by terrorists.
Ndume said Nigeria might have a larger crisis on its hands if all stakeholders failed to do something urgent on the malnutrition being experienced among children in the affected area.
He said about 500,000 children would die of malnutrition if something urgent was not done.
“The situation in the North East particularly in Borno State, is very serious. If we do not do something concrete now on these children that are growing up malnourished, sick with hunger, and poverty in Borno State, then we are going to have another war that is worse than the Boko Haram,” Ndume said.
“So, I want you to give the wife of the president, all the support. As estimated, if we don’t do something, for sure, more than 50,000 children are going to die of malnutrition. That is apart from the people that are dying right now because of hunger in Borno State.”
The Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, lauded the president’s wife for the initiative.
Shettima urged other well-meaning Nigerians to join the crusade of bringing new lease of life to the people of the region, especially children.
“We cannot thank you enough. You deserve special commendation for your giant strides towards assisting the less privileged in our society,” he said.
“She has so far given 30 trucks of assorted commodities to our people. We want to call on other well-to-do Nigerians to come out to support her cause.”
