ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Governor of Benue state Hyacinth Alia on Wednesday hosted the board and management of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) in Makurdi.
Speaking while receiving the delegation at the Government House, Makurdi, Alia said his administration was committed to reducing insecurity to the barest minimum and resettling people currently living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
The governor told the NCDC board and management that Benue State was confronted with numerous challenges but assured that his administration remained determined to address them.
He noted that any amount earmarked for rural development in the state would still be insufficient due to years of neglect.
Alia said the state government was open to partnerships with organisations willing to assist in tackling rural challenges, particularly in the areas of insecurity and food production.
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He added that his administration would not relent until peace is fully restored across Benue communities and those in IDP camps return to their ancestral homes to resume normal life.
“We have done a lot to ensure we have peace in the state. We have drastically reduced the number of local governments that were gravely infested by insecurity.
“Already, there is relative peace in other larger parts of the state. But security is like a monster. Cut the tail and another part of the body will spring up. Cut the hand and you see another part of the body developing to cause havoc.
“Most importantly, we are resolute that our people must go back to their ancestral homes. The people of Benue State deserve peace to continue to feed the nation.
The agricultural value chain must be on the front burner to create overreach on the demands,” he said.
The governor also urged the commission’s board and management to remain apolitical, noting that introducing politics into a sensitive institution like the commission could undermine its core objectives.
Earlier, the Board Chairman of the commission, Comas Akighir, described Benue as a state richly endowed with mineral resources and fertile agricultural land.
Akighir explained that the visit was aimed at exploring areas of partnership with the state government to promote development.
Similarly, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Cyril Tsenyil, said the commission’s mandate was to conceive, plan and implement projects and programmes that would drive sustainable development across states in the region.
Tsenyil said the delegation visited the state to obtain first-hand information on the needs and expectations of the people from the commission.
According to him, the commission intends to focus on sectors such as healthcare, education, transportation, road infrastructure and industrialisation.
He added that other priority areas include agriculture, employment, housing and urban development, electricity, telecommunications and water supply, as well as the promotion of inclusive development.
Also speaking, the Tor Jechira Chief, Edward Ujege, who represented traditional rulers, urged the commission to prioritise efforts aimed at restoring peace in affected communities and facilitating the return of IDPs to their ancestral homes.
Ujege further appealed for the establishment of skills acquisition centres to equip young people with vocational skills and employment opportunities.
(NAN)