As insecurity across Benue State continues to be a major challenge, the State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia is working long and hard to solve the problem.
Sadly, the Governor’s effort to solve the problem appears misunderstood by many based on recent postulations by some highly placed Nigerians, including the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
Arise News reported on its tv a reaction from the Senate to the complaint brought by the Senator representing Benue North-East Senatorial District, Emmanuel Udende to the red chambers that over 50 of his constituents were killed by armed herders in latest attacks on communities.
Based on this complaint, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio remarked that the complaint should have been the first “line of thought” by Governor Alia and not Senator Udende!
According to the news, the Senate President accused Gov Alia of inaction and that the situation required the Governor to use security votes in safeguarding the state and that Alia has not cried out and has failed to marshal out plans with security operators within the state in handling the matter before the Senate could take it to the President
The government of Benue State appreciates the Senate for attending to the motion promptly and in particular for drawing the attention of the Service Chiefs with Commanders and other security chiefs saddled with the duty to listen and rise to the occasion even as the governmentdiffers on some concerns the Senate President had raised!
It is necessary to stress that no discerning leader can afford to keep quiet on the level of insecurity in the state today.
<span;>This explains why Governor Alia has reinforced the security measures with the full implementation of the State’s Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017 to stop the criminal activities of the armed herders in the state!
To mitigate the security challenges, the State Security Council Meeting headed by the Governor resolved previously to give a fourteen-day-ultimatum believed to be a non-kinetic approach to enable the criminals to pull out of the state.
The ultimatum expired on March 6th, 2024 and the state government has authorized security agents to ensure full compliance to the law while the violators who carry with them violent weapons are treated as dangerous criminals!
These measures are in the public domain. No one must keep away or feign ignorance that Governor Alia is silent on security challenges in the state.
By the way, security of life and property is everybody’s business but more so for those elected and mandated to exercise power for the people. Under the circumstance, it defies imagination that the Senate President would cherry pick whom to praise or vilify as it regards this.
Moreover, findings from both formal and informal sources have indicated that the recent attack on Gbagir, a settlement area in Ukum, was a militia clash. 2 local gangs were fighting for supremacy, when another engaged the services of some militia herders to augment its strength
Sen. Udende is not oblivious of this. He hails from this same area. Governor of Benue State.
He needs to explain to Nigerians why he decided to shield the militia men in his locality from this particular attack and would rather mislead the President of the senate and Nigerians to believe the attack was carried out by Fulani militia.
Sir Tersoo Kula,
CPS to the Governor