What Tinubu Told Me and Akume in a Private Meeting -Benue Gov.
Governor Hyacinth Alia spoke on Monday about a meeting he had with President Bola Tinubu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to discuss a possible truce.
The governor stated that the president called the meeting as part of a political approach to cease the heinous killings in the state.
Benue, a food-producing state in Nigeria’s North-Central zone, has been under constant siege by suspected herders for some time. The killings have continued for years, with some blaming them on intercommunal tensions and the struggle for land control between indigenous agrarian inhabitants and nomadic cattle rearers.
However, the killings have continued uninterrupted recently. Suspected herders carried out a series of raids that left at least 160 people dead, wreaking havoc in various villages across the state.
On Sunday, the president directed the governor to convene reconciliation talks and dialogue between the warring parties to put an end to the endless violence and bring about long-term peace and harmonic cohabitation among farmers, herders, and communities.
There have been allegations of a purported conflict between Alia and the state’s previous governor, Akume, over control of the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) organisation in the state. Both Alia and Akume are part of the ruling party.Alia stated on Monday that various approaches, including reconciliations, are necessary to address the problem.
He stated, “We have a complex issue that is basically sponsored from somewhere and directed remotely from elsewhere.
“We would be able to control the intra-local government and intra-local government conflicts in the state.
“The issue here is that outsiders come in armed with their AK-47 and AK-49.
“I believe the president is correct in saying that we should seek common ground for reconciliation.
“He invited the SGF and me based on what he was hearing in the public. He attempted to determine whether there were any distinctions between us.
“The SGF himself stated there were no discrepancies between us. If they were, there would be no concern moving forward. Therefore, it would be prudent for conventional institutions to retreat and remain silent.
Alia also denied assertions that the federal government has not stepped in to defend Benue State’s people from cruel, bloodthirsty marauders.
“If he (President Bola Tinubu) didn’t understand what was going on, he wouldn’t be giving us full support,” the governor stated on the television show.
“Seventeen of the 23 local governments were under siege, and we eventually reduced the number to nine.” We fought it down from six to three. The federal government’s complete support enabled us to bring it down.