The Benue State Government is to launch a 10,000 man security outfit to complement the efforts of other security agencies to tackle insecurity in the state.
Governor Hyacinth Alia who made this known during the expanded stakeholders meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, held in Government House, Makurdi explained that the launch of the security outfit “will aid in securing Benue communities and enable rural farmers to access their farm lands without fear.”
The Governor lauded the efforts of President Bola Tinubu and security agencies in securing the state and the country at large assuring that the new outfit which would be launched before the end of May would be made up of Benue youths.
He also explained that he called for the meeting after being granted clearance by the Commissioner of Police given the embargo on political gatherings in the state stressing that the meeting availed him the opportunity to brief members of the party the plans put in place by the government to tackle the security challenge facing the state.
He informed the stakeholders that “some enemies of the state had gone to invite unknown gunmen to come into Benue and destabilize its peace, but that the government has been able to push the invaders back to where they came from, and will continue to do so until they are all gone, to enable the farmers return to farm to ensure food security for the state.”
He also stated that his administration had made significant progress in the area of infrastructural development including the construction of rural and urban roads, assuring that he would work very hard to make Benue great.
He said his administration was already working towards procuring Hilux vans and motorcycles that would be used for patrols across the length and breath of the state by the personnel of the outfit.
According to him, his government had made a lot of impact in the health sector, with the recruitment of over 400 medical and non medical personnel at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, and he intended to revamp both the primary and secondary healthcare systems across the state.
He also intimated of his administration’s plan to reintroduce scholarship award to students of the state, encourage skills acquisition programmes for the youths as well as encourage the study of science related courses.
