Bigger war than Boko Haram looms, says Ndume

The Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, on Friday evening raised the alarm that if something urgent was not done, a war worse than the Boko Haram insurgency looms in Borno State and the North East generally.

Ndume raised the alarm at a cocktail organised to mark the official inauguration of ‘Get Involved Initiative’, a pet project of the Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari.

The project is aimed at combating malnutrition in the North East.

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.

He said, “The situation in Borno State particularly in the North East and in the country as liberated generally is very very serious.

“If we do not do something concrete now on these children that are growing up malnourished, sick with hunger, poverty and malnutrition in Borno State, then we are going to have another war that is worse than the Boko Haram war.

“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 beside 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.

He said, “We cannot thank you enough. You deserve special commendation for your giant strides towards assisting the less endowed in our society.

“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 give to her cause.”

The President’s wife said she was not comfortable with the magnitude of malnutrition being experienced especially among children.

He urged all and sundry to join her in reversing the trend.

“This is the time for all of us to once again renew our intentions and commitments towards ending the problem of malnutrition facing our country,” she said.

Mrs. Buhari also called on traditional and religious leaders as well as members of private sector, civil society and the media to be part of the Get-Involved Initiative.