Benue Rep Blames State Government’s ‘Bad Politics’ For Insecurity

The lawmaker representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, Terseer Ugbor, has blamed the recent spike in insecurity on a lack of synergy among the state’s political leaders.

The lawmaker accused the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led state government of engaging in what he described as ‘bad politics’ in its efforts to address the security situation in the state.

Both the lawmaker and the governor are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Ugbor said, “Unfortunately, there has been not very much synergy, not very much engagements between the Benue State government and the members of the national assembly. 

“Since I became a member of the House of Reps, I have never been invited by the governor of Benue to government house to have any sort of discussion and my community experiences one of the highest levels of insecurity in the state.”

He lamented that he and other lawmakers in the state are not being carried along in several stakeholders meetings that have been conveyed by Governor Alia.

“We are not invited (to stakeholders engagements). Recently, there was a security committee that was set up in the state to look at the insecurity and we were not invited. The government of Benue doesn’t think members of the National Assembly have a role to play or are important enough to be invited to the security committee set up to look at the insecurity in Benue.”

When queried on what he thinks could be the reason he and some of his colleagues are not being invited to security meetings by the governor, Ugbor said, “It is just politics, it is just bad politics really. 

“What else can it be? I am giving you a typical example, there was a security committee set up from my local government for the insecurity in my local government and I was not invited.”

Emphasising that the growing insecurity in Benue State cannot be politicised, Ugbor said that the lawmakers from the state are ready to work with the governor and every arm of government to bring peace to the state. 

He lamented that over 40 per cent of arable land in Benue State has been taken over by armed herdsmen.

There has been rise in insecurity in Benue State recently, with criminals attacking several communities and killing over 50 persons.

Recent attacks on attacks by suspected herdsmen on Ukum and Logo local government areas in the state is one of the most brutal in recent times.

Following the attacks, Governor Alia  appealed to the Federal Government to step up and deal with rising insecurity in the state.

Addressing journalists after the visit to the affected communities in the two local government areas, Alia condemned the violent attacks on the defenseless people and called for greater action from security agencies to nip these killings in the bud.