By Peter Duru
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue state has declared that some religious leaders he described as “religious bandits” are fueling the challenges the state is facing.
Speaking Thursday while addressing a rally in Makurdi to mark the 2025 Democracy Day celebration, the governor disclosed that some other leaders were also busy fanning the embers of crisis in the state.
He, however, noted that there were a good number of leaders, traditional rulers and religious leaders who were working hard with his government to ensure the return of peace to the state.
The governor stated that the Democracy Day celebration was a time for the people to remember those who gave their all for democracy to returned to the country adding “it is a day that provides us the opportunity to see who the heroes were that have given us freedom, liberty, peace, justice and fairness.
“Those heroes, some are with us, others have gone to be with the Lord, they went through a lot including imprisonment, sacrificing for the unity of our country.
“As we mark this day, let it be a sobering moment for all of us. It is not yet Uhuru for us in Benue state. We are still burying our dead, who are killed unprovoked. It is not just a hope but an intense effort to ensure that we take out this total menace of carnage and killings.
“We will not rest on our oars to ensure that total peace returns to Benue especially in the six Local Government Areas, LGAs,that are in the frontline of insecurity. I am confident that with the support of the President, we are going to get done with insecurity completely in the state.”
He pointed out that “our traditional rulers and many of our leaders and religious leaders are marching and fighting with us for peace to return to the state. However, some acclaimed leaders only fan the embers of discord that peace should not return to the state.
“There are also some religious leaders that I call ‘religious bandits’ who are fueling the bad experiences that we are having here. How do they support that, by their rhetorics, by what they speak?
“If you do not have the facts about Benue and Nigeria, shut up. Don’t just say something because you have the holy altar and oil to speak. Speak what you know and what can be verified, speak for what you represent and stand for always.”
The governor maintained that the celebration should prick the conscience of all to remember that “what unites us is greater than what divides us. So let’s celebrate Nigeria as a common entity. It is a great day and we must think very positively for the state and the nation.”
He urged the people to believe in the country and think positively about Nigeria, advising that people desist from fueling crisis but “know that Nigeria is our country, and we cannot have another one.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council One, Two and Three, Comrade Aloy Omaja, commended the governor for ensuring the prompt payment of the new National Minimum Wage and exceeding the N70,000 threshold as well as ensuring payment of pensions and gratuity.
He assured the governor of the support of workers “who are happy that they receive their salaries without delay.”
The caretaker Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Benjamin Omale, commended the governor for providing purposeful leadership in the state, assuring that the party would continue to stand with him and President Bola Tinubu as they deliver democratic dividends to Nigerians.
Vanguard News
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