Deal With Elements Threatening Benue Peace, Group Tells Gov Alia

A group, Benue Concerned Citizens has called on Governor of the state, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to deal with retrogressive elements threatening peaceful co-existence in the region.

The group stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, while reacting to a statement accredited to two self acclaimed leaders of an infamous group named “Zone A Peoples Assembly (ZAPA), Fanen Mondo and Sam Paddy, tainting the image of Sen. George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

It would be recalled that, the self acclaimed leaders of ZAPA, had accused the SGF of bad leadership, exemplified by nepotism; only patronising the Tiv people, among other allegations.

But addressing the press, the Chairman of Benue Concerned Citizens, Kenneth Bai, said the state by ZAPA was vindictive, wicked, shameless and callous meant to cause bad blood and disunity among the Benue citizens.

“We call on the Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to live up to his campaign promises of promoting peace and unity of Benue State, by calling Mr. Fanen Mondo and Sam Paddy; the protagonists of ZAPA to order and pressing on them to tender an unreserved apology to the SGF and the Benue people in general.

“That is the only way to forestall a repeat of such actions in the land, which is capable of not only destabilizing the state but also making it insecure for the kind of development he promised Benue people. Without order in the land, there will be trouble.

“To fix the land requires measures that prevent jokers like ZAPA who will wake up and instead of providing solutions to issues of development, are busy with flimsy issues that will add no value to anyone’s life or state.

“We are aware of the enormous challenges facing the State, and the governor cannot afford to allow retrogressive elements to add to the already backward state that we are in,” he added.