From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Eje Dekina, Alhaji Usman Obaje has praised Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state for his proactive step to end the Fulani herdsmen killings at Ogane-Enigu
and Ojuwo-ajomaigbi in Dekina and Bassa local government areas of the state.
Obaje who gave the commendation at Aloko-Ogane-Enigu at the weekend, said since the creation of the state in 1991 no governor has ever deemed it fit to visit the village whenever there was crises between farmers and the herdsmen.
He said the visit of governor Bello to the troubled villages has shown his level of humility towards the people of the state , noting that many people who fled from the villages to other neighbouring towns for safety have returned home as a result of the presence of heavy security agents drafted to the areas.
According to him “In the recent past there has been crises between our farmers and the herdsmen in the area where lives and property running into millions of Naira were lost, but no governor has ever come here for first hand information instead the governors delegated their subordinates to visit the villages.
“Honestly, when the news of governor Bello reached me that he is visiting the villages ravaged by the armed bandits I was surprised and started moving to Ogane-Enigu, ahead of him. Despite the fact that the villages in this part of the local government does not have good road, the governor bear the stress to reach to places. This is a commitment expected of every leader to enable him address issues without fear or favour”
The royal father who expressed appreciation to the governor, reported the dearth of basic social amenities such as water, electricity and roads in Adumu, Aloko, Oganeinugu, Ojuole and Omayege communities, appealing to the governor for assistance in that direction.
Governor Bello while addressing troops of 913 Battalion of the Nigeria Army stationed at Aloko-Ogane-Enigu, Dekina Local Government in presence, said his on-the-spot assessment visit was aimed at ending the hostilities and restore peace to the affected communities.
He said that the armed bandits were poised to sack the communities but were contained by security agencies that included the Army, Police and the Department of State Security Service, promising to institute Judicial panel of inquiry to unravel the causes of the crises.
According to him “The primary responsibility of any government is to secure lives and property. We shall not play politics with the lives of our people.
“We shall unravel everything that is behind these attacks. By the grace of God, this attack is going to be the first and the last in this place. As a government, we will, as much as possible, comfort the families affected and ensure that those injured received prompt medical attention,” he said.
The governor urged the community to cooperate with the security agents by providing useful information to enable them tackle the cause of the crises
