Gov urges more synergy between FG, state govt over herdsmen/farmers' clashes

Gov.

Ortom made the call on Tuesday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau.

He said that‎ the Federal and state governments were already collaborating to address the issue, but that a lot still needed to be done urgently.

The governor advocated for a round table discussion between the affected groups to fashion out lasting solutions to the problem.

He said that although Benue was constantly affected by the crises, the recent incident‎ had been exaggerated especially in the social media.

Ortom called on the media, particularly the social media, to shun rumour-mongering and unnecessary speculations so as to reduce tension and disaffection in the country.

He called for harmony and peaceful co-existence as prerequisite for growth and development which are ingredients for stability in a democratic setting.

‎Earlier, Dambazau‎ pledged the readiness of the Federal Government to intensify collaboration with the various state governments to resolve the skirmishes in different parts of the country.

The minister emphasised the need for the protection of investments in all sectors of the economy for investors’ confidence and ease of business in the country.

He, however, acknowledged the existence of criminal elements within the herdsmen and pastoralists and stressed the need to flush them out.

Danbazau said that the Federal Government had begun deployment of security personnel consisting of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to the hot spots.

He said other security agencies would also be deployed to flush out the undesirable elements causing mayhem in the affected states.