The Zone ‘A’ People’s Assembly (ZAPA) in Benue State, has attributed the worsening insecurity situation in the state to the sour relationship existing between Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
President, Zone ‘A’ Peoples’ Assembly (ZAPA), Fanen Mondo, who stated this while appraising the massacre in Yelwa, Guma Local Government Area of the State, therefore urged Governor Alia to declare a state of emergency on security in the state, and also urged him to lead the response.
The ZAPA President, who spoke against the backdrop of the killings in Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, noted that the insecurity in the state was not a coincidence.
He specifically said that there are instances in the past where similar sour relationship between Senator Akume and past governors of the state led to worsened the security situation in Benue.
ZAPA therefore tasked Governor Alia to rise to the occasion, stressing that what Benue State needed was a field commander, ready to defend the people as well as their ancestral land.
Shading light on happenings of the past, the ZAPA president said; “Insurgency in Benue grew visibly when the political relationship between Senator George Akume and Senator Gabriel Suswam collapsed.
“Suswam, to his credit, responded with force, but at a great personal and political cost. He was wrongly accused, arrested, and detained after leaving office.
“Again, between 2016 and 2017, when ex-Governor Samuel Ortom fell out with Senator Akume, the killings intensified. That administration, already lacking vision, spiraled into chaos.
“Are we to believe that the current crisis resurfacing just as Senator George Akume’s relationship with Governor Alia deteriorates is merely a coincidence?
“We at ZAPA say no. The signs are clear, and the implications are damning. ZAPA stands with the people. We will continue to say it as it is for the greater good of Benue.
“The blood of our people cries for justice, and Benue will not remain silent in the face of silence. We call on all true sons and daughters of the state regardless of party, religion, or ethnicity to speak up and stand up. Benue shall rise again,” he stressed.
Mondo also noted that in the past few months, the state had witnessed a return of brutal, coordinated attacks on the people in communities such as Chito in Ukum, Tor Donga in Katsina-Ala, Turan in Kwande, Aôndoana in Gwer West, Yelwata in Guma, Apa, and Agatu.
According to him; “What links all these areas is not just blood and destruction, it is silence. Silence from those in positions of power who should act. Silence from those who should speak.
“This is not the first time Benue has bled. But what makes this moment particularly tragic is that ZAPA foresaw this resurgence, having observed disturbing trends in the political and security landscape of our dear state.
“We warned that the evolving situation was not just about herders, it was also about power play aimed at destabilizing the administration of His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, Governor of Benue State. Regrettably, those warnings went unheeded.
“ZAPA and the good people of Zone ‘A’ are disappointed that despite our early warnings, Governor Alia has failed to recognize the true political and security threats facing his administration and the state. His caution is understandable, but the times demand bold, decisive leadership.
“We urge him to rise to the occasion. Benue does not need a silent governor, we need a field commander, ready to defend our ancestral land.
“Declare a state of emergency on security in Benue state and personally lead the response and publicly and firmly engage the Presidency, making it clear that some of the so-called Benue representatives in Abuja are detached from the sufferings of our people,” Mondo emphasised.
The ZAPA president particularly appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to deploy immediate and decisive military action to end the killings; provide emergency humanitarian support to affected communities and establish a long-term security framework, including forest surveillance and border control to arrest the incessant killings in the state.
