Banditry: ‘We Are Buying Guns Because We Were Not Buying Books’ – Ben Murray-Bruce

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has said that Nigeria’s current battle against banditry especially in the north, is as a result of the inconsequential priority placed on education. 

The lawmaker representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District in the National Assembly made this assertion via Twitter on Monday, April 1.

He said “We are buying guns because we were not buying books. We are building prisons because we did not build schools. We have bandits because we did not ban ignorance. Terrorists intimidate us because we allowed ignorance dominate them. We must educate her youth or be liquidated by them.

“We spent ₦24 billion building new offices and jail cells for the @officialEFCC. Yet, we have not spent that quantum of money on any of our universities for capital expenditure or capacity building. That is why youths leave books to face Yahoo which lands them in EFCC’s cell”.

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Senator Ben Bruce had on Sunday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to turn his eyes towards education and not just remain focused on anti-corruption.

The parliamentarian argued that those who open the doors of schools shut the gates of prisons.

He said, “Dear President @MBuhari, Invest in education, not just in anti-corruption.

“Instead of throwing people in jail, remember that he who opens the doors of a school closes the doors of prisons.

“It is sad that you have built not ONE school. Not even one. Yet you want crime to end?.”