By Chris Agabi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has called on Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State to support security agencies in the state with logistics and equipment to help the fight against kidnappings and other crimes.
Chief Bemgba Iortyom (Vande-U-Mbaiwer)
State Publicity Secretary, PDP, Benue State in a statement noted it’s the trend with past administrations.
“This will be in continuation of the trend by the preceding administrations of Governors George Akume, Gabriel Suswam and Samuel Ortom, each of which at inception, procured operational trucks, patrol cars and communication gadgets and donated to the various security agencies in the state to strengthen their crime fighting efforts.”
According to the PDP state publicist, “the trend contributed in no small measure towards boosting and sustaining the operational efficacy of intra and inter state security task forces such as “Operation Zenda”, “Operation Whirlstroke” and other regular units in the fight against the menace of crime and insecurity.”
PDP said regardless of the fact that the security agencies are under federal sponsorship, “it is the general trend that their host states partner with them through such logistical supports for the good of the people, a trend Governor Alia should sustain rather than abort given the worsening insecurity in the state.”
“PDP calls on Governor Alia not to abort the trend, considering the worsening state of insecurity which himself has been a direct victim of, with his Commissioner of Information kidnapped last year and only released after weeks in the custody of suspected bandits” the statement.
“It was also during the burial of the late Ter Katsina-Ala a couple of weeks back, where the governor was present that his appointed Caretaker Chairman for Ukum Local Government Council on his way to attend the occasion was kidnapped by suspected bandits and is yet to be released” the statement further said.
“Amplifying the fact that under the prevailing situation in Benue no one is safe are the almost daily occurrences of attacks and killings by suspected herdsmen against the people in their homes, farms and even on the roads, from Agatu to Gwer-West to Guma to Kwande and elsewhere” PDP justified their stand.
PDP opined that Governor Alia’s “policy of near total silence over those atrocities tends to give the demotivating impression that insecurity in the state is a thing of normalcy, and he will do well to speak out more to the world about those unfortunate acts.”
PDP urged Governor Alia to procure much needed vehicles, communication gadgets and sundry equipment and donate to security agencies to add bite to their fight against perpetrators of insecurity in the state.
