The Benue State Government has commended the Armed Forces of Nigeria for tackling security challenges facing the state through ‘Operation Whirl Stroke’.
The Governor of Benue State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, gave the commendation on Tuesday, 19 December 2023, when he paid a courtesy visit to Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The governor said that he had come to appreciate the Chief of Defence Staff for the relative peace the state has enjoyed and to ask for more military bases in the state.
He acknowledged that the Nigerian Military had hitherto done so much for the state, but since his government took office in May, the state has experienced much more relative peace.
“And that is the way forward. Just like Oliver Twist, we came to ask for more military presence in the state and came to present some more prayers.
“Because we want not just relative peace; we want absolute peace. You know, peace in the form that enables our Internally Displaced Persons to go back home to their ancestral farmland and for everyone to sleep with two eyes closed.
So, we’re quite happy he received us very graciously and accepted the prayers also,” he added.
Benue State: the Food Basket of the Nation
Also known as the ‘Food Basket of the Nation’ due to its fertile soil and rich variety of agricultural produce, the state has had its own share of insecurity which has threatened farming and food production in the state.
Past state administrations, however, came up with various security intervention programmes to curb the numerous challenges bedevilling the state, such as farmers-herders clashes, banditry, kidnapping, and intercommunal clashes, among others.
Banditry
The Benue State governor, however, commended the ‘Operation Whirl Stroke’ for curbing banditry in the state.
“The bandits and killers infested the state and the Benue Valley, and we recorded scores of deaths.
Families and people lost their homes and their farm places, but life is just coming back with the support of the Nigerian Military via the Operation Whirl Stroke, and they are doing great,” he said.
Securing the Borders
The Benue State governor stressed the need to secure the state along the borders it shares with Cameroon.
He described Benue State as one of the very top states with solid minerals, with many more having been discovered.
“So, when you have other forms of insecurity plus this one that is supposed to raise the economy, there is the need to secure the borders very well,” said Alia.
The governor affirmed the state’s willingness to support the military in every ramification and even financially, if more military bases are created.
The Chief of Defence Staff
The Defence Chief, General Christopher Musa, appreciated the governor for the visit, stating that security was everybody’s responsibility.
“The governor is here to show his concern for his people in Benue State. And what he has requested for are things that we equally are working towards.
The Armed Forces wants to enhance all their operations’ professionals so that they can do as much as the state wants them to do more.
The governor has a lot of issues on ground: the issue of discovery of mineral resources. We know how rich Benue state is and the attraction it has, especially some hurdles and other criminal elements,” said Gen. Musa, who promised to take these things into consideration in their deployment.
“We are going to enhance their capabilities going forward.
We want Benue and the rest of Nigeria, everywhere in Nigeria to be peaceful. We want every Nigerian to enjoy peace in Nigeria.
We want the internally displaced camps closed. We want farmers to be able to go back to their farms; communities should be able to go back to their communities so that they can live well,” he yearned.
These are the efforts; these are the tasks we have ahead of us. And we can assure Nigerians that they can rely and trust that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is here for them,” said the Chief of Defence Staff.
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