An Irish born International Rock Star Artist, a lead singer of rock group U2, Paul David, popularly called Bono, has said that he was able to see the real Boko Haram in Borno state, Nigeria.
Bono, who visited Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, in the company of the African richest man and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Sunday, August 28, described the real Boko Haram he saw as that hungry toddler that never enjoyed parental love and never will.
“I asked a five year old boy in the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) Camp in Borno where was his father. The boy looked surprise, because he did not know what I was talking about. He had no idea about the concept of father. That is a potential Boko Haram.”
Bono downplayed the conceptualization in many quarters that Boko Haram insurgent is that man that wears masks on his face, carries heavy AK 7 gun and march in the forest looking for a prey, saying: “Boko Haram is more than that. The new Boko Haram Nigeria will contend with after the end of the battle is that of hunger, starvation, diseases and poverty unless urgent measures are taken to address those things.”
Bono, who co-founded One Campaign organization, meant to end poverty, described Nigeria as an incredible country.
“This is a country with plenty of natural endowments but with excruciating poverty riding high in many communities and homes.”
He expressed surprise, at a news conference he jointly held in Abuja with the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote that over 50,000 million children are said to be facing death before the end of this year in some IDP camps in the North East, if they are not properly cared for.
Bono commended Aliko Dangote for having so far spent N4.5 billion in aid to IDPs in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states even as he called on others to chip in their widow’s mite
This was even as the Chief Executive of the Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou, promised that with the new direction of the Foundation, more financial and material assistance would be made not only to the IDPs, but the poor and helpless ones in various communities. [myad]
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