-
Advocates formation of BENATA Forum
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Apparently piqued by the continuous gruesome killing of Benue citizens, the Paramount Ruler of the Tiv nation, Orcivirigh Prof. James Ayatse, has called on the international community to intervene and save the poor farmers from what he continues to refer to as “genocidal invasion and land grabbing” by terrorists and their sponsors.
To also check and nip the challenges in the bud, the Tor Tiv advocated the need to establish the Benue-Nasarawa-Taraba (BENATA) Forum to meet frequently and discuss effective approaches that can restore permanent solutions to the unabated crises that have ravaged the Benue Valley.
Speaking at two separate workshops organised by the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation and GoGreen Environmental Health Sustainability Initiatives at Gboko and Makurdi, the Tor Tiv regretted that the genocide has overwhelmed the Nigerian security agencies under whose watch the sponsored terrorists recklessly butcher the unarmed people.
The Tor Tiv, who is also the Chairman of the Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers, stated that the horrible security challenge in Benue can only be addressed by the intervention of the international community since it has defied all local solutions through peaceful meetings.
He rejected the call to dialogue with the terrorists for an amicable resolution and wondered how it is possible to talk with people who come out suddenly with sophisticated weapons from nowhere and kill, maim, rape, and disappear, saying the situation is beyond dialogue and negotiations.
He lauded the organisers of the workshops and expressed the hope that the workshops will produce fruitful results, even as he charged the participants to pay keen attention to the speakers to enable them to apply what they have learned in their various communities.
The Tor Tiv advocated for the formation of the Benue-Nasarawa-Taraba (BENATA) Forum to meet regularly for interaction to achieve the desired peace in the Benue Valley, saying the three states share a common history and boundaries.
He said the crisis in the Benue Valley revolves around natural resources, which include land and water, and can be resolved through agreements and proper demarcation of boundaries.