Benue State Governor, Samuel
Ortom, yesterday called on the United Nations, UN, to intervene in the human
crisis resulting from the genocide perpetrated by armed herdsmen in the state.
The Governor made the call on
Wednesday at the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, office in Abuja
when he led a delegation of the state to make a presentation on the continuous
killing of Benue people by rampaging herdsmen.
Governor Ortom informed the
gathering that as an administration, which believes in the rule of law and
peaceful coexistence, series of meetings for dialogue were organised by the
Benue State Government to find a solution to the crisis without much success
leading to the promulgation of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches
Establishment Law.
He argued that due process was
followed in the making of the law, saying in addition to conducting public
hearings, which involved all the stakeholders in the three Senatorial districts
of the state and Makurdi, a grace period of six months was allowed for people
involved in livestock business to make adjustments.
After the Governor’s opening
address, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Dennis
Ityavyar made a presentation which had details on the attacks, including the
number of people killed and property destroyed between 2011 and this year. He
urged the United Nations to assist Benue State to overcome the challenge.
The United Nations and
Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon expressed deep worry
that the conflict between herdsmen and farmers if not checked would mar the
peaceful conduct of the 2019 general election.
Mr. Kallon stated that already 19
out of the 36 states of the federation were engulfed in the crisis which he
said was being driven by climate change, growing scarcity of resources and
insufficient political reforms.
He decried the level of attacks
and killing of innocent people by armed men, maintaining that he was personally
involved in the roadmap to peace and had been calling on Government all levels
to find a lasting solution to the conflicts in order to stop the killings.
Mr. Kallon stated that he was
represented in Benue at the mass burial of the seventy people killed by
suspected Fulani militia in January where he called on the Federal Government
to take firm action in investigating the attacks, bringing the perpetrators to
justice and also paying compensation to victims in line with International
Human Rights obligations.
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