The Coalition of Southeast Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has advised Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom to provide an alternative means of protecting his people as the Chief Security Officer of the state rather than lamenting over the plight of his people.
The group, in a statement by its President-General, Goodluck Ibem and Secretary-General, Kanice Igwe, yesterday, said the move becomes necessary because the police and the military had failed in their constitutional duties of protecting the people.
“This move is pertinent because it is very clear that the military and the police have failed woefully in their constitutional duties of protecting the people and something must be done which lamentation is not among the solutions to be proffered in solving the insecurity in the state.
The group advised Governor Ortom to stop lamenting and get down to action as constant lamentation would not solve any problems for the governor but would rather compound it.
They further said Governor Ortom should learn from what had happened to his colleagues in the past and apply such wisdom in protecting himself and his people.
“Governor Ortom is not the first governor to be attacked by the powers that be. Senator Chris Ngige now a minister, was attacked, kidnapped and locked up in a toilet when he was a sitting governor of Anambra State. He survived it and used the local vigilance group as his private security and protection of the state. We are meant to learn from history and Ortom should learn from others,” they stated.
Continuing, the group said: “Benue has enough able and capable men who can serve in the vigilante of the state. With the turn of events in the state, the only security outfit that can serve the people’s interest is a local vigilance group. This matter must be handled urgently before Benue people are exterminated from the earth.
“We are happy that the governor has the necessary information showing the evil plot to wipe out those who are indigenous to Benue State by the Fulani who want to grab their land by force. It is time for the governor to use his security votes and other logistics at his disposal to protect the lives and properties of the Benue people. Indeed, Benue people have suffered enough and something must be done to salvage the land of Benue.”
They noted: “Benue is the food basket of the country. The current hunger in the land is as a result of the wanton killings of Benue farmers daily and the Federal Government is not bothered because the killers are Fulani and so they have the rights to carry AK47 and kill people at will.”
