By Amos Aar, Makurdi
GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom of Benue State has restated the resolve of the State Security Council (SEC) to continue with the amnesty programme for repentant militants despite the killing of one of the intending beneficiaries and the most wanted criminal by the Nigerian Army.
Governor Ortom who briefed newsmen on Thursday shortly after the SEC meeting at Government House, Makurdi, said SEC reconvened to review Gana’s death as it happened after SEC’s meeting last Monday. He said the reconvened meeting was necessary following mixed reactions by several Nigerians on the manner in which Gana was killed.
The Governor however said there was no new development as the Commander of Operation Ayem Akpatuma, Major General Gadzama Maude Ali, who promised to brief him was yet to fulfill the promise.
He told newsmen that the 42 repentant youths from Logo local government were successfully profiled yesterday and they became free and ready to be reintegrated into the society. He further stated that SEC will hold meeting with Sankera stakeholders tomorrow Friday, 11th September, 2020 to know the next line of action.
Ortom repeated his call on the people of Sankera to remain calm as according him; two wrongs do not make a right. He also urged those willing to receive amnesty to come out without fear assuring that their hands were open to receive the repentant criminals.
Although the governor stated yesterday that there will be no financial benefit for the repentant criminals, he however spoke about certain empowerment programme for beneficiaries of the second amnesty.
Revealing that the beneficiaries will be supported to go into farming, Governor Ortom said there will be no elaborate and central arrangement as was done in 2015 during the first amnesty. He added that the programme will be held in various local governments with those granted amnesty to be supported according to their skills.
“Amnesty is one way we have to maintain peace and we are not going to be distracted because of what happened.
“Yesterday, we were able to profile the 42 youths from Logo and they are now free. We also discussed that we must have a way of supporting them. We are planning to go into farming and other forms of agriculture; that is what we have.
“We have also decided that tomorrow, the State Security Council will hold a meeting with the stakeholders from Sankera axis of Benue State. So, we are still appealing for calm, two wrongs can never make a right. What has happened has happened and you cannot change what has happened already. But you can find ways of addressing the people; that is what we are trying to do here. So, after tomorrow’s meeting with the leaders in Sankera, if we have any other thing, we will tell you,” Ortom said.
He added: “Those people who were to receive amnesty from the State Security Council, our hands are still open to receive them. We are not only doing it in the three local governments. Kwande local government has indicated interest and we are ready to receive them and other local governments are ready to come forward to surrender their weapons and accept amnesty. The Security Council is ready to receive them.
“We constituted a small committee to ensure that after the profiling of those youths, we will try to look at how we can integrate them into the community and help them. But we are not going to do a central arrangement like we did in 2015.
“We are going to decentralise and this will take place at the local government levels. The Security Adviser, the Adviser on Local Government and Adviser on Special Duties will anchor this programme. Where there is need for the state government to collaborate with the local governments to support these youths to go into farming or do anything based on their skills, the state government is willing to do that though it is not a condition.”
Asked about the whereabouts of Gana’s corpse, Ortom said he was still waiting for briefs from the Commander of Ayem Akpatuma but was sure that the remains were in the custody of the Nigerian Army.
