The Eje of Dekina, Kogi state, Chief Usman Obaje has commended Governor Yahaya Bello for taking proactive measures to end attacks on Ogane-Enigu and OjuwoAjomaigbi in Dekina and Bassa local government areas of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The governor, who traveled for almost four hours on the road into the thick forest where the people settled, said a commission of enquiry will be instituted to unravel the cause of the mayhem.
The traditional ruler, while giving the commendation at Aloko-Ogane-Enigu on Saturday, said since the creation of the state in 1991, no governor had deemed it fi t to visit the village whenever there was crisis between farmers and the herdsmen.
He said the visit of governor Bello to the troubled villages had shown his level of humility toward the people of the state, noting that many people who fled the villages to neighboring towns for safety, had returned home as a result of the presence of heavy security agents drafted to the areas.
“In the recent past, there have been crises between our farmers and the herdsmen in the areas 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 was 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 do not have good road, the governor bore the stress to reach the places.
This is a commitment expected of every leader.” 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, and appealed to the governor for assistance.
Governor Bello while addressing troops of 913 Battalion of the Nigeria Army stationed at Aloko-Ogane-Enigu, Dekina local government said his on-the-spot assessment was aimed at ending the hostilities and restoring peace to the aff ected 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 Services.
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 fi rst 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 who lamented the dearth of basic social amenities in the area, said the previous administrations neglected the people, assuring that government in no distant time would provide portable water, electricity and roads to the communities.