
<<< By Nathaniel Ikyur >>>
Benue state Governor-elect, Dr Samuel Ortom has promised that his administration will tackle the perennial Fulani herdsmen attack on Benue communities and bring it to an end in six months.
Dr Ortom bared his mind yesterday when the Gaambe-Tiev community and political leaders paid him a solidarity visit at his residence in Makurdi on his election as the 5th democratically elected governor of Benue state.
The governor-elect was responding to requests from the leader of Gaambe-Tiev community, Hon Mathias Mtserikyaa who pleaded with Dr Ortom to help end the perennial Fulani herdsmen attack on their communities.
Benue state has continuously come under severe attacks from Fulani herdsmen with hundreds of casualties and properties worth millions destroyed.
But speaking while addressing members of Gaambe-Tiev community who paid him a courtesy visit, Dr Ortom pledged that his administration is poised to end the havoc visited on Benue communities by the Fulani herdsmen.
According to the governor-elect, “the violence visited on the rural communities in Benue by Fulani herdsmen is a sore point in our lives. We cannot allow this to continue. As governor of Benue state, I will personally be in the forefront to draw up a lasting strategy in collaboration with all community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders as well as Fulani leaders to find a lasting solution to this crises.”
He decried the loss of lives and properties by the various communities over the persistent crises and called on the people of the state to join hand’s with his administration to deliver sustainable development to the state.
Other communities and groups that paid courtesy visit the governor-elect included the Ipusu community led by Hon Ander Anye, Traders from the Makurdi Modern Market, association of MINDA accountants.