By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Resillience Programme Coordinator with ActionAid, Mr. Anicetus Atakpu, on Monday in Lokoja said that implementation of budgetary Provision towards job creation and empowering young person’s is an antidote to violent Extremism in kogi state.
Mr. Atakpu, the Team Leader of the Serve 11 Project for ActionAid, in Conjunction with Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development, (PIBCID) and funding from Global Community Engagement and Resilience Funds, made the disclosure at a one day Policy Dialogue with Civil Society Organizations and the Media in Lokoja.
He pointed out that judicious budget implementation could reduce unemployment geared towards addressing infrastructure gaps, human and capital development would be useful disincentives to violent extremisim.
“It’s worrisome that Governance took a large chunk of the Kogi State 2021 budget with 18.06% as against 3.24% allocated to Entrepreneurship and Youth Engagement who are key drivers of Violent Extremism.” he expressed.
Akpatu also lamented that a N100m allocation for Project for Youth Development under the Governor’s Office in Kogi State in the 2021 budget, wondered why the funding was not in the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“So much was allocated to the renovation work in the Governor and Deputy Governor’s Office in 2021, while allocation to women and youths in 2021 is a paltry 1.32% of the total budget as against 1.79% renovation work in the offices of the Governor and his Deputy.”
He therefore called for citizens’ Participation in budget preparation and involvement to ensure proper monitoring and accountability to address socio economic ills that are the persistent cases of violent extremism rather than placing emphasis on construction, establishment and rehabilitation of centres.
He therefore called for budgetary provision for the physically challenged persons who according him are drivers of violent extremism, adding that engagement by the media should go beyond the ceremonies, urged for oversight to help assist the fight against violent extremisim.
Earlier in a welcome remarks Halima Oiza Sadiq, Executive Director of Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development, (PIBCID), said the one day Dialogue aims at budget funding, tracking allocation, and spending geared towards preventing extremism in Kogi State.
