Gov Alia: Onjeh warns NASS Caucus to stop politicising insecurity in Benue

Benue State’s National Assembly Caucus, led by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, has faced criticism for its recent remarks concerning the security situation in the state.

Recall that lawmakers from Benue State in the National Assembly, had last week urged both the federal and the state governments, along with security agencies, to fulfill their responsibilities in safeguarding the lives and property of Benue residents.

The legislators specifically criticised Governor Hyacinth Alia for what they described as his inaction to the ongoing killings and displacements in various local government areas, including Agatu, Apa, Guma, Makurdi, Gwer West, and Otukpo.

They denounced the perceived unlawful dissolution of elected councils in Benue State, followed by the appointment of caretaker committees by the state government.

Responding to these criticisms, APC senatorial candidate during the 2023 election in Benue South, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, cautioned against playing politics with the lives of Benue people.

He argued that the recent statements attributed to the Benue State NASS Caucus were part of a coordinated effort to undermine Alia in the public eye.

Onjeh advised the lawmakers to focus on their roles as federal legislators, stating that it was inappropriate to politicise matters of human life.

He said, “Throughout the last administration of Mr. Samuel Ortom in Benue State, there were numerous reports of deadly attacks by herdsmen on villages.

“Even with ‘democratically-elected’ local government executives in place, the former governor, Mr. Ortom, withheld funds from the local governments.

“Senator Moro, however, did not speak out against the rampant killings by herdsmen across Benue State during that time.

“It did not seem to concern him then that the lack of funding for local governments under the Ortom administration was contributing to these vicious attacks on Benue communities by killer herders.

“He saw no reason to criticize the Ortom administration because they were both members of the same party, the PDP. Yet suddenly, he has found his voice under the APC administration of Rev. Fr. Alia.

“On the issue of the spike in insecurity across the state, the reliable information received by Rev. Fr. Alia from security forces differs from the allegations made by the federal lawmakers,” Onjeh added.

“So, could it be that the NASS Caucus knows something about the true cause of the worsening insecurity in the state that we, the Benue people, are unaware of?

“If Senator Moro and his colleagues in the Benue NASS Caucus are privy to certain information, now is the time for them to share it,” he said.

Onjeh stressed that Alia was not the first state governor in Nigeria to establish caretaker committees for local government councils.

He argued that the issue of local government caretaker committees was a settled matter, not unique to Benue State.

“The formation of local government caretaker committees is a trend observed in many states across Nigeria, each facing its own security challenges,” Onjeh explained.

“Yet, their respective National Assembly Members have not blamed the insecurity in their states on the presence of these caretaker committees.

“So, the Benue NASS Caucus is making baseless statements to justify the incessant attacks on their constituents by herders.

“I find their actions quite perplexing, undemocratic, and unfair to the Benue State electorate who elected them into the National Assembly,” Onjeh added.