…Says crisis nearing genocidal level, calls for local government autonomy enforcement
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) has called on the Federal Government to urgently deploy security forces to Benue State and other regions affected by ongoing violent attacks, describing the situation as “almost at a genocidal proportion.”
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Saturday, the former Bayelsa State governor condoled with Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia over the recent massacre of innocent residents, emphasizing that the persistent bloodshed across the country demands immediate and coordinated federal intervention.
“I call for full federal deployment of security forces to Benue State and other states affected by this ongoing bloodletting,” Dickson stated. “We cannot continue as a nation where hundreds of our citizens are killed routinely. This growing normalization of mass killings is unacceptable and must end.”
Senator Dickson praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing the mobilisation of security assets to Benue, as confirmed in his conversation with Governor Alia. He encouraged full cooperation with security forces and collective support from all sectors to restore peace.
In addition to the security call, Dickson pressed for the urgent actualization of financial and political autonomy for Local Government Councils across the country. He noted that rural security challenges are compounded by the inability of local governments to function effectively due to inadequate funding and leadership structures.
“All our communities and rural areas fall under local government jurisdictions, yet they lack the resources and autonomy to carry out basic duties such as community coordination and security liaison,” he said.
Dickson argued that strengthening the local government system — particularly through direct allocation of funds and empowering council leadership — would enhance community-level security efforts.
He urged President Tinubu to continue pushing for the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling mandating direct disbursement of local government allocations, while also encouraging state governors to support the initiative.
“The President has started the right process with the Attorney General. It is crucial we see it through to ensure our grassroots governance systems are functioning and capable of addressing these growing security threats,” he noted.
Senator Dickson concluded with a call for non-partisan cooperation, stressing that national security, economic stability, and democratic integrity should transcend political affiliations.
“As I have always maintained, issues of national security, the economy, and the protection of our national values know no political colour. We must work together — federal, state, and local governments — to confront these challenges and expedite the establishment of community and state policing structures,” he said.
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