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Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, on Monday, urged residents of the state to defend themselves against armed invaders who stormed their communities to kill people.
Ortom, who made the remark while reacting to questions from journalists on his arrival in Makurdi from Oyo State where he attended the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ meeting, said people need to rise up against unnecessary invasion of their homes by intruders suspected to be armed herders.
Meanwhile, forum of PDP governors at the end of their meeting, held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, which was chaired by Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, issued a six-point communiqué, where it insisted that ranching be adopted as permanent solution to the herders/farmers clashes in the country.
The governors also reiterated the call for restructuring and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to summon meeting of the Nigerian Police Council and devolve more powers to states to douse the tension in the country and curb insecurity besetting it.
The meeting presided over by the PDP governors’ forum chairman and attended by 10 of his colleagues as well as the Zamfara State deputy governor, Mahdi Gusau, equally charged the National Assembly to immediately amend the Constitution to give effect to devolution of powers and state policing.
Apart from Ortom, other governors in attendance were Governors Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Samuel Ortom (Benue State), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers).
Others were Governors Oluseyi Makinde (Oyo), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Zamfara State Deputy Governor, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau. States not represented were Abia, Cross River and Taraba.
Having reviewed the state of the nation, the PDP governors called on President Buhari to send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution to devolve powers to states with respect to security architecture that will give birth to state police.
They said: “In the interim, Mr President should summon an immediate meeting of the Nigerian Police Council, which comprises Mr President and all state governors and other critical stakeholders to evolve and implement strategies to combat the present threats to our union, especially with respect to policing. The meeting agreed that the Police Force still remains the appropriate institution to secure our democracy and should not be subjected to personal attacks. The welfare, training, equipment, funding of all security agencies should be given priority.”
The governors also threw their weight behind Southern Governors on the need to adopt ranching and restructuring of the country, adding that various civil institutions must be reformed to enhance efficiency.
They said: “The meeting supports the earlier position taken by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Northern Governors Forum and recently by the Southern Governors’ Forum to adopt ranching as the most viable solution to the herders/farmers clashes in Nigeria; the restructuring of the Nigerian federation to devolve more powers and functions to the states; and reform of various civil institutions to achieve efficiency and equity for all sections of Nigeria.”
It called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) “to take bold and deliberate steps to de-escalate and lower tensions in our country, and concentrate on projects and policies that will enhance and promote national unity and cohesion.”
Announcing the objective of the meeting earlier, Tambuwal said the situation in the country calls for everyone who is committed to the Nigerian State to put hands on deck, not only in prayers but also in action by working together to rescue this country.
Tambuwal said: “That is the promise the PDP is holding for Nigeria, by the grace of God, come 2023. We are on a salvation mission; and it is part of the reasons why we institutionalise this meeting.”
Host governor, Oluseyi Makinde, described the ruling APC as a party without the requisite national spread. “This is the difference between our party, PDP and the APC. If they try to have such a meeting they will not have a representative from the South-So