Benue Crisis: Presidential Aide Meets Gov Alia, Opens Community Talks

The senior special assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Dr Abiodun Essiet, has begun a three-day community engagement visit to Benue State aimed at strengthening dialogue on security, border management and community relations.

As part of the visit, Essiet met with the deputy governor of Benue State, Dr Sam Ode, who provided an overview of the state government’s ongoing efforts to address security challenges and manage border-related issues affecting communities.

Ode highlighted the state government’s collaboration with neighbouring states, such as Taraba and Nasarawa, to tackle cross-border security concerns, land disputes, and other community-related matters.

He assured Essiet of the state government’s responsiveness in addressing boundary and border-related issues affecting communities within the state.

The presidential aide also paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, where she briefed him on the objectives of her three-day engagement in the state.

The meeting provided an opportunity to share feedback gathered from communities and discuss strategies for resolving local disputes and strengthening peacebuilding efforts.

Governor Alia, in his remarks, shared feedback from communities across the state and highlighted several pressing concerns raised by residents.

He noted that the poor condition of some federal roads has contributed to security challenges, as it makes it difficult for security agencies to quickly access certain communities.

To support the engagement, the governor pledged the state government’s cooperation and directed the department responsible for peace and reconciliation, as well as community engagement, to work closely with Essiet’s team.

According to him, the department will monitor the team’s activities during the three-day visit and align them with the state’s ongoing community engagement initiatives.

The collaboration is expected to strengthen community dialogue, improve coordination with citizen platforms such as the Citizens’ Assembly, and ensure that interventions initiated during the visit are sustained after the engagement.