Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia
By TYAV SAM TYAV, Makurdi-
The recent comment by the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia that a section of the Masev community involved in cattle rustling that led to the attack and killing of the people at Mbakyor, Mbalom Masev in Gwer LGA was not meant to indict the Masev people.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, made the clarification in a statement issued on Monday in Makurdi.
Mr. Kula explained that even as rustling was fingered in the latest attack, it was not an indictment on the entire Masev people
The CPS noted that it was the constitutional responsibility of Governor Hyacinth Alia to protect all citizens and their lands, and reference to allegation of rustling does not entail any slack of responsibility or trading blames with the people.
He further explained that loss of lives cannot be justified under any account irrespective of whatever is the immediate or remote cause insisting that it was not a justification of perennial killings caused by militant herdsmen over the years.
The Benue State Government, according to Kula felt concerned and wished the National Executive Council of the Masev Development Association, and entire Masev people not to view the remarks so damaging of their integrity and urged the people to be relaxed as no ill was intended on the part of government.
The Governor, Kula further explained has lamented the unfortunate deaths of the people of the community saying, Government also shares in the pains and aspirations of Masev people and Benue State.
“Government will not tag Masev as perpetrators of the fundamental issue that has affected them for many years. The allusion to local complicities has no intention to undermine a whole group.”
The CPS also pointed out that as the Chief Security officer, the Governor works closely with communities and security organisations, and receives security intelligence and other privilege briefings regularly.
He acknowledged the collective efforts of the Masev people to ensure safety in the land emphasising, however, that cattle rustling or any mischievous act does not and should not warrant lawlessness especially, to the extent of taking scores of lives and disrupting public order by any individual or group.
Kula insisted that the mere presence of open grazing cattle is an illegality in itself, adding that security operatives were keenly at work and perpetrators of these heinous crimes would surely be apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.
