The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has advised the federal government to create a post-service re-adjustment scheme for ex-service men.
Speaking during a valedictory lecture in honour of the out-going vice chancellor of the Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State yesterday, Kukah said any society that did not make provision for its able-bodied men and women would pay the price by having a restless society.
“Our security men are busy fighting insurgency, many of them have lost their lives, many permanently incapacitated, after the fight, what next? How do we manage the peace that is coming back to some parts of the country? This is the only country where we only think about today, the government says we have technically defeated Boko Haram, it says it is focusing on reconstructing our country economically and they are worried about how much money they need to fix the country.
“To me, this should be the least of what the government should be worried about, the end of Boko Haram is the beginning of other war. I will advocate the creation of service men re-adjustment scheme, when these soldiers return from war, the only thing they are coming back with is the knowledge of war. As a country we have to prepare for their psychological state, how do we integrate them into the society? The scheme when introduced will give them access to loans to build their own homes, to start their own businesses, and to attain higher education if they so desire, when soldiers come back from war, the government needs to speak the language they will understand”, Kukah said.
