MAKURDI – Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has condemned the decision of the Federal Government (FG) not to allow the State Community Volunteer Guards and security outfits in other states from bearing arms.
Governor Ortom also promised to use the remaining part of his administration to lay the foundation for projects that will add value to the development of Benue state.
Nathaniel Ikyur, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Ortom disclosed this in a statement he signed and made available to Daily Independent in Makurdi on Friday.
According to the statement, Governor Ortom made this known in his remarks at the 2022 Oyo State Governance retreat with the theme: “Finishing Strong: A Legacy of Prosperity” in Ibadan.
The governor who stated that the decision by the FG not to allow state security outfits legally established by the government in other states not to carry weapons, decried the situation where the FG has allowed those in Katsina state, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari to bear arms.
Ortom lamented that “While the Community Volunteer Guards and Amotekun in the South West were legally formed by law, but were denied the right to bear AK 47, those in Katsina State have been allowed to carry such weapons.
“The business of securing the lives and property of the people must be taken seriously by Government.
“The legacy of protecting lives and property of the people must be taken seriously and I call on Government at all levels to prioritize issues of security to ensure that the people live and carry out their businesses in atmospheres of peace.”