Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has provided a leeway to tackling the menace of insecurity in the South East and other parts of Nigeria.
The Governor spoke on Thursday in Enugu while delivering a keynote address tittled: “Emerging Security Situation in the South East: The Place of Good Governance,” at the one day lecture series organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Enugu Chapel.
Ortom stated that insecurity in the region and other parts of Nigeria can only be addressed when leaders set aside sentiments and confront the monster, stressing that all stakeholders must support security agencies to perform better as security is everyone’s business.
He opined that government at all levels must take aggressive steps to address the problem of youth unemployment by making concerted efforts towards job creation and youth empowerment through the private sector.
The Governor while calling on the Federal Government to respect the Federal Character Principle to end marginalisation and injustice in form of appointments and development projects, also called for the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan adopted by the National Economic Council to protect farming communities against herder’s attacks.
He also charged the Federal Government to publicly condemn the atrocities perpetrated by armed herdsmen as well as arrest and prosecute the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Fulani Nationality Movement and other armed herder groups that have consistently admitted to the wanton killings of farmers.
Governor Ortom called on the Federal Government to proscribe all militant Fulani groups as was done in the case of the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, given that the Global Terrorism Index ranks Fulani militia as the fourth deadliest terrorist group in the world.
While advising youth of the South East against destruction of Federal Government structures in their region, Governor Ortom called on the FG to convene a meeting of Eastern Nigeria stakeholders across party lines to discuss challenges confronting the people especially youth.
The Governor who was presented with an award of ‘Courageous in Leadership,’ appreciated the NUJ Radio Nigeria Enugu Chapel for the honour, even as he congratulated other awardees during the occasion.
Zonal Director FRCN Enugu Zonal Office Pastor Emma Inegbedion had praised Governor Ortom for all that his administration has been doing especially building bridges of unity and friendship among Nigerians.
On arrival, Governor Ortom was received by the Tiv and Igbo communities in Enugu.
