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Ortom pledges to sustain amnesty programme

By Joseph Wantu, Makurdi
06 June 2016   |   4:32 am
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has pledged to sustain the amnesty programme initiated by his administration in spite of the assassination of his Senior Special Assistant on Special...
Samuel Ortom

Samuel Ortom

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has pledged to sustain the amnesty programme initiated by his administration in spite of the assassination of his Senior Special Assistant on Special Security, the late Denen Igbana.

He made the pledge at the funeral of the deceased at the weekend in Mbadede, Vandeikya local government area of the state. Ortom lamented that the killers of his aide were the enemies of his administration who are bent on truncating the success of his amnesty programme by eliminating the late Igbana who was its major pillar.

The governor vows that the development has rather gingered him the more to redouble efforts to sustain the programme and would never surrender the state to criminals.

According to him, another month has been given to those who possess arms illegally to turn them over adding that at the end of June 2016, there will be massive crackdown on those who failed to comply.

He announced that the police have so far arrested nine people including someone he described as a member of his cabinet for questioning and vowed not to shield anyone from investigation by security agencies.

Governor Ortom granted the requests of Pastor of NKST Lobi where the deceased was a member, Reverend J T Abawua, to take over payment of the school fees of the children of the late Igbana, offer employment to his wife and first son as well as relocate the family from the house where he was killed.

He promised to construct the road linking Mbawuar community with Mbaakon in honor of the deceased even as he said God would help security agencies to track his killers.

The Governor also directed the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to re-engage 40 Vandeikya local government staff employed in 2006 but later sacked who won the case against their disengagement in 2014 in response to the request made by Acting Ter Kunav, Chief Augustine Aule.

In his funeral service, NKST Secretary General, Reverend P G Adzuana enjoined the living to reflect on their plight and make peace with God rather than mourning for the dead.

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