From Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
The Governors of Benue and Nasarawa States, Samuel Ortom and Abdullahi Sule has appealed to the Federal Government to retain (the military) Operation Whirl Stroke, (OPWS), for at least two more years.
The two governors made this call when they met at Government House Lafia, on Sunday to assess the progress so far made to sustain peace in border communities of the two states.
The meeting which was attended by delegates made up of top government officials and traditional rulers from the two states was a follow up meeting to the earlier one held in Makurdi on July 22, 2019.
The Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Mr. Terver Akase recorded that after thought-provoking deliberations, the meeting commended Governors Ortom and Sule for their peace initiative which has drastically reduced skirmishes on the border communities.
The meeting further appealed to the Federal Government to retain the Operation Whirl Stroke for at least two more years just as they agreed that Benue and Nasarawa States should sustain support given to security agencies to guarantee peace.
The meeting according to Akase also “agreed that ranching is the global best practice of animal husbandry, and that Benue State did nothing wrong in enacting a law to prohibit open grazing and promote ranches establishment” and urged livestock owners and farmers to obey the law.
The meeting also “agreed that the return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes should be done gradually as the security situation continues to improve.
The meeting cautioned those who beat drums of war to desist from such conduct and embrace dialogue as the best means of conflict resolution.
The two Governors also resolved to deepen ties and also encourage their people to entrench peaceful coexistence.
