…Says; his priority is to protect Benue People And Safeguard their lands
Benue State Governor, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia has declared that terrorists must leave the state, stressing that he would not blink over insecurity whatsoever.
Governor Alia specifically stated that his administration will fight terrorists, bandits and kidnappers until they leave Benue State for the people, and vowed that “nobody will take Benue land from the people”.
Alia specifically said that his priority is to keep State and secure her land for the people to farm unhindered in order to continue to feed the nation and also boost the economy of the state and country.
In the words of Governor Alia; “That is why I am serious and not blinking at all over the issue of insecurity in my state. Terrorists MUST leave the state. We shall fight them until they leave our state for us. Nobody will take Benue land”.
Governor Alia also vowed that he would not relent until terrorists are shown the way out of Benue state, stressing that he will sustain his efforts in ensuring enforcement of the relevant laws, and continuously pursue and combing terrorists’ havens to get them to face justice.
Alia stated, who stated these when he paid an unscheduled visit to Taraku Mills in Gwer East Local Government Area to inspect the extent of the maintenance work at the multi-billion state-owned company, expressed satisfaction on the level of work done so far.
The Governor noted that though Benue farmers have the capacity to provide the needed raw materials to feed the company, saying however, that if insecurity persists in the state and the neighbouring of Nassarawa, Cross River, Kogi and Taraba states, the people would be unable to farm, and reviving the company will be an exercise in futility.
A statement by Sir Tersoo Kula, stated that the engineers at the Taraku Mills, powered several of the machines at the request of the Governor, adding that the maintenance of the machines had been completed and demonstrated as evidence of the significant progress made towards restoring the factory to full operational capacity.
Governor Alia noted that the level of work done on the machines was encouraging and working in line with the earlier projection for the commencement of production within a very short time.
Kula further stated that the Governor Alia-led administration is presently working to resuscitate the multi-billion naira Taraku Mills Company that had been in comatose for several years.
The Governor called on farmers across the state, particularly those cultivating soyabeans, maize and groundnuts, to increase production in readiness to supply the factory with adequate raw materials throughout the year once test-running is completed and full operations begin.
Alia said that the revival of the mill would create a strong value chain around soyabeans and maize, stimulate agricultural activities, generate employment and further strengthen the state’s economy.
He noted that the Benue’s economy had already begun witnessing significant improvement through the reforms introduced by the Federal Government and his administration over the past three years.
Governor Alia commended the team of engineers handling the maintenance works for their dedication, commitment and professionalism, and also appreciated the host community for safeguarding the factory against vandalism and theft over the years.
The Governor described members of the host community as disciplined, responsible, and committed to the success of the project.
