Obi Campaigns In Borno, Says That Sambisa Forest Will Be Taken Over And Used For Farming If Elected

Obi Campaigns In Borno, Says That Sambisa Forest Will Be Taken Over And Used For Farming If Elected

In continuation of his campaign tour of states in preparedness for the 2023 presidential election, Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi has promised to tackle insecurity that has plunged the country into an abyss in recent times. According to him, he said the dreaded Sambisa forest would be turned to a farmland where crops would be produced for consumption if he is elected.

As reported by the Punch newspaper, these remarks and several others were made when the Labour Party took its nationwide campaign train to Borno State. Recall that of all States of the federation, Borno remains the worst hit by incidents of insurgency.

While relaying his plans on how to solve several challenges facing the nation, Peter Obi bemoaned the extent of negligence on the part of previous leaders who paid lip services to problems confronting the nation. In his remarks, youth unemployment is a major cause of insecurity and added that past administrations refused to handle the issue thoroughly.

However, Peter Obi promised to aggressively tackle the issue of unemployment among youths and on the long run, bring back the lost glories of Borno State. While noting that the State used to be very peaceful for farmers to practice their trade before the advent of Boko Haram, banditry and other terrorist groups, the Labour Party candidate said the dreaded Sambisa forest will be converted to a large piece of farmland if he becomes the president.

“Sambisa forest, which the terrorists have used as a base from where they torment this state, will be turned into a farm land to produce”, he had said.

The Sambisa forest is located at the northeastern tip of the west Sudanian Savanna and the southern boundary of the Sahel Savannah about 60 km south east of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. It occupies parts of the states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi along the corridor Darazo, Jigawa, and some parts of Kano state farther north.

The forest, especially the mountainous region of Gwoza near the Cameroon border, is used as shelter by the jihadist Boko Haram group and is believed to be where they keep the hostages from the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping in April 2014.