Abba Moro in USA…. makes case for Idoma Governor, speaks on security, economic challenges in Benue South (Full text)

The Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Comrade Abba Moro, has decried the inability of the Idoma speaking part of the state to produce the governor of the state since its creation in 1976.

Comrade Moro, who was apparently pained over this long-standing jinx, said he has resolved with his team to use legislation and negotiation to remove what he termed as “impediment and glass-ceiling from the psyche of our people.”

The lawmaker made this comment in a speech presented at the 2019 Idoma USA Convention, held at Adria Hotel and Conference Centre, Bayside, New York, USA on Saturday.

Comrade Moro said he would be working with the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment, when inaugurated, to push for the alternation of the Constitution to include clauses on the rotation of Governorship position among the three Senatorial Zones in every State, with emphasis that the effective date of the amendment captures the period from return to democracy in 1999 to date.

The outspoken senator in his paper also examined the security and economic challenges in Idoma land and the effect thereof on the socio-economic development of the land.

He lamented the spate of security breaches, involving the loss of lives and property, along with the deplorable economic condition of Idoma land, which he observed had hindered business activities and discourage investors from investing in Idoma land.
Full text of his speech below.

I am aware that Benue South Senatorial District has not produced a Governor in Benue State since the creation of the state by General Murtala Mohammed on February 3rd, 1976. As much as it is worrisome, we have resolved to use legislation and negotiation to remove that impediment and glass-ceiling from the psyche of our people. I will therefore, be working with the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendment, when inaugurated, to push for the alternation of the Constitution to include clauses on the rotation of Governorship position among the three Senatorial Zones in every State, with emphasis that the effective date of the amendment captures the period from return to democracy in 1999 to date. I am sure many states of Nigeria have given opportunities to all their Senatorial Zones, to produce Governors, and Senators from such States that are in a large majority, will ordinarily support the Bill for Amendment of the Constitution to that effect, which I intend to sponsor very soon.

Furthermore, I am setting up a follow-up team in my office, to be led by my Senior Legislative Aide, to follow up all Motions, particularly pertaining to Benue South Senatorial District, to ensure they are implemented by relevant government agencies to the letters. This, I am sure, will bring increased attention, progress and development to our people.

In addition to these initiatives, I have engaged a Legislative Draftsman to work with my office, to develop Bills that will have positive impact on the socio-economic and political life of our people. One of such Bills is the Bill for an Act to create a special agricultural Harvest Zone within Benue South Senatorial District, where agricultural produce, from across the state, can be warehoused and traded, with the support of the Federal government in both farm inputs and infrastructure. It is of common knowledge that Benue State is the Food Basket of the nation and it is only logical for us to begin to live out the true meaning of that appellation and earn revenues from it.

On the issue of security challenges in Benue South, Comrade Moro opined thus:

In response to the growing security challenges in Agatu, Benue State, particularly the killing of over 25 persons in Okokolo, Agatu Local Government on Sunday 30th June, 2019, I moved a Motion on the floor of the Nigerian Senate, with the support of my colleague-Senators, for the intervention of the Federal Government in providing security and relief materials to forestall future occurrence and to alleviate the sufferings of the Okokolo people in Agatu Local Government, who were affected by the violence.

Furthermore, we are making efforts to ensure our traditional institutions and youth associations are directly involved in policing our land. The plan is to develop a blueprint that will involve our traditional institutions and youth associations in the task of providing security for all communities across Idoma land. It is trite that more than security hardware, effective security flows better from intelligence and analysis. It is therefore our hope that the traditional institutions, along with youth associations across Idoma land, will be brought into a pact with key security agencies of government, to provide the needed security in our land. The truth is that, no security officer or agency can know our land more than our people, particularly those who reside in our communities.

In addition, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we have a huge resource of ex-service and retired military, police and paramilitary operatives and officers in Idoma land. It is also on our card to work assiduously towards integrating the Idoma Ex-Service and Retired Security Ofiicers/Personnel Associations, spread around Idoma land, into the security network of Idoma land. It is my earnest hope and expectation that these ex-service and retired security officers/personnel can bring their trainings and experiences to bear in providing security for our communities.

We are also building pact for appropriate community policing model that will be beneficial to our people. You will all agree with me that community policing is a paradigm shift that seeks to focus on constructive engagement with people who are the end users of the police service. This therefore will involve the partnership of all communities in Idoma land with security agencies, in creating a safe and secure Idoma society. It is incontrovertible that involving our people in taking key security decisions will go a long way towards building lasting peace in Idoma land.

On the whole, time has come for all Idoma communities to beware of the kind of visitors we welcome into our communities. The times that we welcomed all and sundry in the name of hospitality have come and gone. Our existence as a people is badly threatened now more than ever before and we must make all efforts to ensure that we vet our visitors, using available traditional mechanisms, to know their missions in our communities, before we welcome them. Furthermore, indiscriminate sale of agricultural land to unknown persons, no matter the monetary consideration, must be carefully watched now. We must no longer make the mistake of selling our lands to people that would turn around to kill us or bring in marauders to do the killing jobs for them. We are living in perilous times and we must be very watchful now.