By Emmanuel Antswen
A Benue philanthropist, Mr David Olofu, has called on the Federal Government to construct a highway along the corridor of River Benue from Lokoja to Taraba.
Olufu made the call on Saturday in Apa Local Government Area of Benue when he visited communities attacked by bandits.
The philanthropist said that the ungoverned space within the River Benue corridor contributed significantly to the dastardly acts of the herdsmen along the riverline.
He said the construction of a coastal highway along its corridor would deter criminals from carrying out their activities around the area.
Olufu, who is the immediate past commissioner for finance, said the road would also generate and enhance economic activities along the corridors.
The President/Founder of Apa Legacy Sustainability Initiative deeply regretted the herders’ attacks on Benue communities, especially the Ankpali Edikwu, Ojantele/Akpete, and Ikobi communities.
“These criminal elements usually take advantage of the vulnerability of the spaces as their habitat, where they hide to carry out their nefarious activities.”
“If we have good roads, our military and security agencies can easily and swiftly rush to promptly rescue our communities if they are timely informed about any attack.
“If there are no good roads, the security agencies will find it difficult to quickly rush to the places of attacks when invited.”
“Without roads, the security agencies cannot be stationed in every nook and cranny of our community and will have difficulties in arriving at your location in a prompt and expeditious manner to nip an impending attack in the bud,” he said.
Olofu, who described the frequency of these unprovoked attacks by the suspected herdsmen as an epidemic, called on the people to be united against the attackers.
He said the people, irrespective of tribe, creeds, religions and partisan interests, must genuinely come together to fight the scourge.
He also called on the youth not to abdicate the responsibility of policing their various communities to the elders and the vulnerable, saying that they should organise themselves into vigilante groups.
“I was trained by my father via his farms. My elder brother and all of us were trained by my father in the same vein, but see what has happened.
“Our people cannot go to their farms, and there is no home for them to stay. Where do we go from here? This is not only painful but devastating, to say the least,” he said.
During the visit, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Apa Legacy Sustainability Initiatives, and Prof. David Salifu said that their mission was to commiserate with the affected people over the unfortunate incidents.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olofu, during the visit, donated relief materials to the victims and urged them to remain strong. (NAN)