By Peter Duru

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said he is ashamed and in pains over the spate of communal crisis and armed herdsmen attacks being recorded in the state recently in the face of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

He lamented that the development was exposing the people to the dangers posed by the pandemic and was also over-stretching security personnel in the state.

Ortom, who spoke yesterday at a review session organised by the state COVID-19 Action Committee in Makurdi said: “you can imagine what we have been going through, I feel a lot of pains in my heart when you daily hear of one conflict to the other, external aggression from armed herdsmen and the communal clashes we have here and there.

“I want to appeal to Benue people to learn from what the world is currently facing with the COVID-19 pandemic and realise that the challenge is real and that we cannot afford to engage in needless communal clashes.

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“This crisis will further expose our people to the virus and we must not forget that anybody can be a victim and that should be enough lesson to all. We must, therefore, understand the message God is sending to humanity with this pandemic and work together in love and unity, ensure utmost peace and at the same time remain prayerful.

“There is no need for the clashes and destruction of the little we have in the face of a looming recession because the truth is that we have overstretched the security agencies in our state with these crises.

“We must realise that these are also family people who left their families to ensure peace in our state and sometimes because of these crises stay in a place for too long.

“So by engaging in these crises, we are being unfair to ourselves and our people. In fact, I am ashamed of these issues. I know we can toe the part of dialogue but regrettably, some persons find pleasure in taking arms against their own brothers and most of the crisis is about land but we easily forget that the same land belongs to the government.

“Do not forget that you can overpower your brother and kill him for land and in the process expose everyone to the virus but you should know that you cannot escape the virus if you expose yourself. So all we need now is peace in our land to enable every one of us in the state to comply with all safety measures to keep ourselves protected and safe,” Ortom said.

Earlier, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Contact Person and Technical Assistant in Benue state, Prof. Steve Abah in a presentation themed ‘Summary of Activities of Benue State Covid 19 Response’ commended the state government for being proactive and taking the lead in the fight against virus and sued for its sustenance.

Vanguard