‘Terrorists must leave Benue’ – Alia promises sustained fight against insecurity

Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has declared that securing the state and protecting its farmlands remain his administration’s top priorities, saying lasting peace is critical to reviving the multi-billion-naira Taraku Mills and sustaining Benue’s status as Nigeria’s food basket.

The governor stated this during an unscheduled visit to Taraku Mills in Gwer East Local Government Area, where he inspected ongoing maintenance work on the state-owned company.

“My priority is to protect my people and safeguard our lands so they can continue feeding the nation. Terrorists must leave Benue State. We shall continue to enforce the law and pursue them until they are brought to justice. Nobody will take Benue land,” the governor said.

He lamented that although Benue farmers have the capacity to supply Taraku Mills with soybeans, maize and groundnuts, persistent insecurity in parts of Benue and neighbouring Nasarawa, Cross River, Kogi and Taraba states could undermine efforts to revive the factory if farmers are unable to cultivate their lands.

According to him, restoring peace is essential to ensuring the successful resuscitation of the company, which has remained dormant for several years.

During the inspection, engineers handling the rehabilitation project powered several machines that had been serviced, demonstrating what the governor described as significant progress towards restoring the factory to full operational capacity.

Expressing satisfaction with the pace of work, Alia said the rehabilitation was progressing in line with earlier projections and expressed optimism that production would commence within a short period.

He urged farmers across the state, particularly those cultivating soybeans, maize and groundnuts, to increase production in preparation for the commencement of operations at the mill after the completion of test-running.

The governor noted that the revival of Taraku Mills would create a robust agricultural value chain, stimulate increased farming activities, create jobs and strengthen Benue’s economy.

He also maintained that economic reforms introduced by both the Federal Government and his administration over the past three years were already yielding positive results in the state.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, Alia commended the engineers handling the maintenance work for their professionalism and dedication, while also praising members of the host community for protecting the factory from vandalism and theft during the years it remained inactive.

He described the community as disciplined, responsible and committed to the successful restoration of the company.