The Benue State Government will implement a carrot-and-stick strategy to address boundary disputes in the state. This was disclosed by Deputy Governor Sam Ode during the demarcation of the boundary between the warring communities of Bonta and Ukpute in Konshisha and Oju Local Government Areas.
Governor Alia, represented by Ode, urged the youths of both communities to lay down their arms and embrace peace to become productive members of society. Ode, who also chairs the Benue State Boundary Commission, emphasized his commitment to peace across the state.
“As the Chairman of the Boundary Commission, I have no personal interest other than the peace we hope to achieve. My role is to bring peace to the entire territory called Benue State,” he said. “A carrot-and-stick approach will be adopted in the demarcation exercise. Ultimately, what the state wants is peace. We don’t want to resort to force, and force is the last option. I hope it doesn’t come to the use of force,” he added.
Ode appealed to all parties to embrace peace, noting that without peace, economic activities and development would suffer. He pointed out that funds meant for development would be diverted to address security challenges if the conflicts persisted.
To further promote peace, Ode requested a list of unemployed youths from the communities to engage them in productive activities. He warned that anyone found disrupting peace would be handed over to security agencies.
The Deputy Governor commended the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD) for their efforts in resolving the crisis and expressed appreciation to traditional rulers and other stakeholders for their contributions to ensuring peace and unity.
“Your peace-building strategies are vital and should be adopted in other situations in the state and beyond, as witnessed in Agatu Local Government,” he noted.
The Benue State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Aondowase Kunde, and elder statesman Engineer Okpe Onah, expressed their gratitude to the deputy governor for his peace-building initiatives. They described the demarcation as an epoch-making event and called for unity to attract development to the areas.
Caretaker Chairmen of Konshisha and Oju Local Governments, Philip Achuah and Ire Arubi (represented by Vice Chairman Monday Angwa), expressed optimism that the Deputy Governor’s involvement would bring an end to hostilities between the Bonta and Ukpute communities.
