In the heart of Benue, where the rivers flow and the land breathes stories of resilience, a storm brews a storm not of nature, but of human transgression.
Our people, bound by history and heritage, stand at a crossroads where division threatens to tear apart the very fabric of our existence. Yet, in this moment of peril, there is a clarion call for unity, a plea for unyielding allegiance to our collective survival. The enemy we face is not one of party or tribe but a common foe that seeks to wipe us out completely. Now, more than ever, the people of Benue must rise as one, casting aside political and cultural differences to confront this existential threat.
The transgressions against our land are manifold. From the relentless attacks on our communities to the economic strangulation that suffocates our dreams, Benue bleeds. Our fields, once lush with promise, are stained with the sorrow of loss. Our children, the bearers of tomorrow’s hope, live in fear of a future stolen by violence and neglect. These are not mere challenges; they are deliberate acts of destruction, orchestrated to erode our spirit and scatter our resolve.
But let it be known: Benue is not a land of the faint-hearted. We are a people forged in the fires of adversity, tempered by the unyielding will to survive.
In the face of such transgression, political decisiveness becomes our greatest weapon. Too long have we allowed the shadows of partisanship to cloud our vision. Too often have we let cultural differences dictate our alliances. The enemy does not discriminate between APC or PDP, Tiv or Idoma, Christian or Muslim it strikes with ruthless indifference.
Why, then, should we remain divided? Why should we cling to the petty squabbles that weaken us when our very existence hangs in the balance? The time for indecision is over. The time for unity is now.
I pen down these words, not as a voice of one faction, but as a son of Benue, pleading for the soul of our land. Let us remember the sacrifices of our ancestors, who fought not for personal gain but for the survival of our people. Let us honor the tears of our mothers, who cradle the pain of loss yet rise each dawn to nurture hope. Let us draw strength from the dreams of our youth, who yearn for a Benue where peace and prosperity are not distant ideals but lived realities. This is the allegiance we must pledge not to a party, not to a tribe, but to Benue itself.
The path ahead is fraught with peril, but it is not insurmountable. Unity is our shield, and decisiveness our sword. We must demand accountability from those who lead us, ensuring that their actions serve the collective good rather than personal ambition.
We must rebuild our communities, not as fragmented enclaves, but as a united front that stands firm against any force that dares to threaten us. We must invest in our youth, equipping them with the tools of knowledge and opportunity to reclaim our future. Above all, we must forgive one another, heal the wounds of division, and march forward as one people, bound by a shared destiny.
To the people of Benue, I say this: the enemy may be formidable, but we are unbreakable. Our allegiance to one another is our greatest strength, a force that no transgression can overcome. Let us rise above the noise of politics and the weight of cultural divides. Let us confront the common enemy with the fierce determination that has always defined us. For if we falter now, if we allow division to prevail, we risk losing not just our land but our very identity.
As the sun sets over the Benue Valley, let it not mark the twilight of our people but the dawn of a new era—an era of unity, resilience, and unyielding allegiance to our shared future. We are Benue. We are one. And together, we will triumph.
Comrade Iortyom Ushahemba Moses is a passionate advocate for justice and unity, serving as a voice for the resilient people of Benue and a devout member of the Revolutionary Socialist Movement in Nigeria
