Benue Govt, DIC collaborate to safeguide state
By Bridget Ikyado
Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has called on the participants of the Advanced Defence Intelligence College, Abuja, to provide actionable intelligence reports that will safeguard the state and nation from potential threats of attacks.
The governor made the call when participants of Course 14/2023 of the college, who are on a study tour of the state in partial fulfillment of their course, paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, Makurdi.
Emphasizing on the theme of the tour which is ”Preventing Intercommunal Conflict Through Actionable Intelligence to Enhance National Security,” governor Alia urged the team to engage in robust and valuable interactions that will lead to the return of peace in communities across the state.
He expressed regrets at the pains caused by intercommunal conflicts, saying it has led to the loss of many Benue lives and also the displacement of many from their ancestral homes.
While reiterating his administration’s resolve at returning the Internally Displaced Persons to their homes, the governor called on the participants to work in conjunction with the security agencies on ground, with the aim of providing workable solutions to the root causes of intercommunal conflicts in the state and the country in general.
Earlier in his address, the leader of the group and Director of studies at the Defence intelligence College, Abuja, Goke Osuntokum, said the participants of the course 14/2023, were in Benue to fulfill the partial requirement for graduation at the college.
According to him, the choice of Benue became important as it provides the participants the avenue to discuss salient issues that will help in tackling the cases of communal clashes within the state and Nigeria as a whole.
He said such efforts are concurrently being carried out in states such as Plateau and Taraba, that also have a history of intercommunal conflicts.
He thanked the governor and the people of the state for the hospitality accorded them since their arrival.
Also in his vote of thanks, a Defence Intelligence Officer, Charles Acho, equally appreciated the governor for creating time to receive the participants, despite his tight schedule.
He wished the Alia led administration well in its bid to better the wellbeing of the people of the state.
