By Ben Atonko
A governorship aspirant in Benue State, Prof. Sebastine Hon, has expressed frustration and disappointment over the government’s persistent poor response to Fulani terrorists acts in the state.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Prof. Hon lamented that the government has always neglected warnings of impending attacks, and now objects to mass burial of dead bodies.
The senior Constitutional Lawyer questioned the government’s authority to dictate how the bereaved should bury their loved ones, citing a lack of legal basis for such actions.
The post with the title Random Musings, in an hour generated numerous Likes, Comments and Shares.
It partly read: “Invaders amass in the vicinity. Locals raise the alarm on the social media, which is about their only source of mass communication.
“No proactive step is taken. The murderers and marauders end up having a field day, spilling human blood, unchallenged.
“Grieving relations pull themselves together, thinking of how best to bury their loved ones.
“All of a sudden, a slumbering government that refused from the beginning to be proactive, which has also blatantly refused to placate the bereaved, sees ‘danger’ in allowing ‘foreigners’ to venture help that would, to a reasonable extent, assuage the deep sorrows of the very people the same government ceaselessly refuses to protect!
“As a Lawyer of 35 years’ standing and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria of 18 years’ standing, I am not aware of any law which says bereaved relations must bury their dead on the terms set (in this case, not even set) by government, especially when no law is alleged to have been breached. I am lost!”
His post sparked a lively discussion, with many respondents echoing his concerns and calling for change in the state’s leadership come 2027.
Targema Iornumbe lamented, “Learned Silk, some of us are lost as well in this whole drama playing out in Benue state.
“I had to look again at the Constitution and other Laws but cannot see where the government is deriving legality for its actions.
“Maybe the laws have been changed in respect of Benue state and we are not aware. It’s quite unfortunate.”
“The way forward is to uproot what has been mistakenly sown come 2027,”
Pilaku Sharer posted.
Ngutor Abagih said,” We have thugs heading some of our local governments.”
“Too bad. Whatever has a beginning, has an end.
“Chief professor Sebastine Tartenger Hon has the end come 2027,” were the words of Jonathan Agoom.
