By Naomi Sharang
The Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) has declared its full support for President Bola Tinubu’s response to the recent killings in Benue.
Chairman of the PGF and Gov. of Imo, Hope Uzodimma made this known to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, after a meeting with some progressive governors.
He said that the Forum stood united with the President in his resolve to end violent attacks and hold the perpetrators accountable.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Tinubu had earlier on Wednesday, visited Benue to condole with Gov. Hyacinth Alia over the killings in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of the state.
He said: “The Progressives Governors Forum is fully in support of President Tinubu’s position on the Benue killings”.
“We were in Benue state, first, to show solidarity to our colleague, the Governor of Benue state.
“To condole with him for that unfortunate incident and also, encourage Mr President in his efforts to address this situation in Benue state which continues to repeat itself.
“We are satisfied with the position of Mr President on his planned action to stop further killings and violence, not only in Benue state, but almost in every part of the country.
“Arising from that, we just rose from a meeting where we also discussed the state of the nation and the need for the sub-national governments to take security up to the rural communities.
“Henceforth, we must do everything, whatever it will take, to protect lives and property in Nigeria which is the primary essence of government”.
The governor also commended the President for all the strides and achievements he had recorded in two years.
“We are satisfied by the way he is going and in the very nearest future, Nigeria will come out of this and prosperity will become the order of the day.
“So we encourage all of us Nigerians and condole the families of those involved in the unfortunate incidents in the state and other parts of the country.
“And we are showing our people who voted us to power that we have buckled up and we have braced up.
“We are ensuring to provide to the security agencies everything that they require to ensure that every space, the governed and the ungoverned is adequately protected”.
On what is the Forum’s recommendation to the President, Uzodimma said “If you listened well to the President, he even recommended that he is willing to support Benue State to establish a ranch.
“I think what that goes to show is that to encourage harmonious relationships between herders and farmers so there will be a win-win situation.
“It is not meant to impute any motive or theory that will not encourage the unity of this country.
“We appreciate and commend the President for his speech and the position he has taken and the governor in his speech also recommended state police.
“There is no difference between state police and community police. So it is decentralising security.
“There will be a technical committee that will look at all the issues and put together a working paper for the governors going forward,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)