j.e : Socio-economic effect of Boko Haram activities

Socio-economic effect of Boko Haram activities The impact of the heinous activities of Boko Haram terrorism on the social economic and political structure of Nigeria is over-whelming and devastating. Many businesses in the state have been affected by the activities of the insurgence. Some shops have been taking over by the military personnel who have made it their base, forcing the businesses owners to either relocate or abandon it totally. Small businesses that use to strive in the night like Tea selling, Restaurants, e.t.c. are no longer operating as a result of the security situation. Banks can no longer travel to local government council to pay salaries due to frequent attacks along the way, staff of the local council have to come down to the state capital for their salaries which is very risky. Effect on the Economy of the North In his statement, the minister of information Mr. Labaran Maku while speaking to journalists in Abuja after the Federal Executive Council Meeting on February 9, 2012 said that the North is dosing heavily due to the violence. When you destablise Kano, which is the commercial nerve centre of the North, you are threatening the socio-economic well being of the North”, he said “Kano is the economy of Chad, it is the economy of Niger Republic, and of northern Cameroun, so when you destabilize peace in Kano, you threaten the foundation of economic and social well-being of that region. It makes no sense to attack innocent people and destroy the North”. Reduction of people’s patronage of product from Northern Region because of rumour that member of Boko Haram are planning to send poisonous product from their region to other parts of Nigeria. 97 per cent of businesses were negatively affected by the security problem. Some of them had to close down, some of them had to retrench their workers, and others had to cut down in the number of hours of operation. Also the Insurgencies of Boko Haram have reduced drastically government derivation from the affected region due to restiveness in those places as well as reduced investment and growth of business in the affected places without excluding government executed project. Insecurity in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kano etc alone has cost the Nigerian economyN1.3trillion ($6 billion) as a result of attacks by the Boko Haram group. Political and Social Effect Although, recently election were held into local government offices and by-election in Nangere house of assembly constituency, but the security situation (if not improve) may not allowed some people in other location of the state to perform theircivic right in future election, especially those in Gujba local government area, because a lot people have relocating from Buni yadi, Goniri, e.t.c.to other part of the state. Another effect is that the insurgence of Boko Haram in state has drastically reduced government of the day’s performance in the affected area. Although it is trite fact that Nigerian politicians are fond of promising heaven and earth for the purpose of gaining people’s mandate; The social effect of Boko Haram activities is that it have made some Non-Muslim who have not be privilege to mingle with Muslim in their life to belief that all Muslim are fundamentalist while some of them were mischievous with their opinion with little exclusion about few Muslims from Yoruba Part of Nigeria. It should also be noted that the activities of Boko Haram have makes some Nigerian who are not from Boko Haram affected State to be avoiding affected State to the extent that some Nigerian Graduate who are serving the Nation under the scheme of National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) are seriously rejecting being posted to some part of Northern Nigeria. The social challenges posed by insurgence of Boko haram can also be attested to by the mass movement of residents who are from other States of the federation; out of the North Eastern part of the country, especially Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State. And not only have that, insurgence of Boko Haram had reach the extent that suspicious and rumour of attack is the easiest information to spread within state. Conclusion The activities of Boko Haram have heightened serious fears among the Nigerian populace, especially those in Nigeria. The trend has led to loss of lives and property. Business ventures and shops have remained closed. Boko Haram has succeeded in instilling fear and hatred among thepeople who have been living in peace and harmony for decades. Recommendations The present security challenges ravaging Nigeria is a multi faceted problem. Its solution can only be achieved through a multi dimensional approach. The government should develop the political will to expose and prosecute the high caliber individuals both within and outside the government who has been linked with the Islamist militant group. This will cut the life source of the terrorist group and serve as a deterrent to other negative minded individuals who might be nursing similar ambition in the future. In his view U.S Ambassador to Nigeria Terence McCauley said: We believe the Nigerian Government needs to have a strategy which addresses these act of violence which reassures the Northern population that there is a plan to ensure their security. Security forces will target extremist and perpetrators of violence in a way that does not inflict civilian casualties of damage properties and violent human rights. It is incumbent upon government to react with a broad based strategy by addressing security as well as the questions of development and poverty which feed underlying grievances that can promote acts of violence” (Olukorede 2012). Many people have forwarded arguments that the present security challenges in the country is as a result of unemployed.