Benue State Governor, Fr Hyacinth Alia has referred to as on the warring Bonta and Okpute communities of Benue State to sheath their swords and embrace concord.
There has been a long-standing communal disaster between the 2 neighbouring communities, main to the lack of lives and destruction of properties.
Gov Alia made the attraction when he held peace conferences with the communities as a part of the efforts to de-escalate the renewed disaster between them.
The Governor, talking by way of his Commissioners for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Aondowase Kunde an Agriculture, Prof. Moses Ogbaji, mentioned peace stays the one certain means to improvement.
A delegation of two commissioners attended the assembly, two state lawmakers and the safety adviser.
On Saturday, youths from each communities took to the streets to protest the latest safety breaches within the space.
Addressing the Bonta individuals, Kunde urged them to sheath their swords and provides peace an opportunity for improvement to come to their space.
According to him, their socio-economic life and improvement will likely be affected of their group with out peace.
He urged them to stay calm and peaceable regardless of the extent of provocation however to report to related authorities.
“We are here for peace. This is a time we should be rejoicing. We have suffered so much in Benue in the past, and God has sent his son, Alia, to put smiles on our faces,” mentioned Mr Kunde .
“So, we should not be engaging in another violence.
“As the commissioner of humanitarian and disaster management, it is my intention to bring relief to the people and not to come and settle the crisis.”
At Okpute, Prof Ogbaji suggested the youths towards utilizing arms, stressing that “dialogue and peace are the way to go.”
Prof Ogbaji referred to as on the youths to interact in significant ventures and proceed to use the accessible subsidised fertilisers and different farm inputs given to them by the federal government.
The lawmaker representing the Oju I state constituency, Blessed Onah, advised the those that “battle has no buyer simply as there isn’t a different to peace.
The particular adviser on safety issues, Joseph Har, mentioned the Benue authorities may take care of any troublemaker however selected dialogue.
He once more appealed to the individuals to assist the federal government and provides peace an opportunity for the progress and improvement of their areas and state usually.
Responding on behalf of the Bonta individuals, Ahula Akpile thanked the delegation for his or her immediate response to the disaster and pledged their assist and loyalty to the Benue authorities.
