Ortom declares ‘war’ on armed robbers, kidnappers

BENUE State Governor Samuel Ortom has stated his determination to chase criminals especially armed robbers and kidnappers out of the state.

Ortom declared this when the executive committee of the socio-cultural organization, Mdzough U Tiv, visited him at the Governor’s Office, Makurdi.

The Governor said these categories of people posed serious threat to residents and investment into the state since no investor was willing to invest in an insecure environment.

He indicated that he was collaborating with the conventional security apparatus, traditional rulers, youths, as well as the civilian joint task force to use the carrot and stick approach to rout the criminals.

According to Ortom he was happy that peace building efforts between Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen had started yielding results with the two groups signing a peace accord in Logo local government area and thereafter playing football together.
Ortom who reiterated his appeal to citizens to forgive and reconcile with one another so as to create what he described as a new Benue further urged leaders of Mzough U Tiv to shun partisan politics and promote unity of all Tiv people irrespective of political and religious affiliation.

Meanwhile, the state House of Assembly has approved the list of caretaker committee for the twenty-three local government areas of the state sent to them by Governor Samuel Ortom.

In another development, Ortom has lauded indigenes of the state that are investing in the industrial sector and reiterated government determination to provide enabling environment to boost private entrepreneurship in the state.

Ortom made this indication while commissioning Seraph Nig. Ltd, a multi- million Naira soya beans oil firm in Makurdi, build by retired Air Commandore Titus Agbacha.

He called on other illustrious sons of the state to emulate Agbacha’s decison to harness the abundant natural resources of the state.

The Governor, who commended the MD of the company for his laudable contribution to the development of the state, also posited that the company is one of the few that has continued to strive to ensure Benue remains the food basket of the nation, lauded the number of employment and value change the industry has provided to indigenes of the state.

“There is no way the government can create jobs to take our youths off the streets except we allow the private sector to come in, pledging to sensitize Benue farmers to start massive production of soya beans with the assurance that they will have value for their produce,” the governor noted.

In his goodwill message, the MD of the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Robert Orya said it has supported various agricultural projects in Benue state in the sum of N4.14 billion between 2009 and 2015, promising that it will continue to support more entrepreneurs and government.