Shettima Tasks Benue Leaders On Unity, Governance

Benue State will not witness meaningful development if the people are not united for a common goal, Vice President Kashim Shettima has said.

Shettima who was in Makurdi, the state capital yesterday to flag off the First Expanded National to Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Clinics, emphasised that development cannot thrive in an atmosphere of chaos.

He said, “I want to call on Benue politicians to bury their differences and form a single formidable force for development to thrive. I can tell you that despite the president’s soft spot for Benue, if you are not united for a common goal, development will elude Benue.”

The vice president, who also unveiled the federal government’s plans to establish a world-class fashion hub in Makurdi for small businesses in the tailoring cluster, added that the hub which would be ready in 90 days was an initiative of President Tinubu.

According to him, “The reason we are holding this expanded national MSME Clinics, the first of its kind by this administration, in Benue State is to recognize the role the state has played in offering the nation a means of trade and a vehicle for driving the MSME subsector towards our objectives

“Therefore, we must seize this moment to forge a path of prosperity, to leverage the resources at our disposal, to create a thriving ecosystem for the growth and success of our micro, small, and medium enterprises. Every business owner, whether in Makurdi or Otukpo, Gboko or Katsina Ala, among others, must consider themselves a priority of this government,” he said.

Earlier, Governor Hyacinth Alia commended the government for choosing Benue for the project.

He said, “We have a law now that prohibits what is known as ‘marching ground,’ a form of extortion for businesses and individuals interested in establishing business in Benue.

“We are actively working to improve on the ease of doing business in Benue, streamlining processes and removing barriers and bottlenecks.”