George Okoh in Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has said with the presence and support of the armed forces, the state has enjoyed relative peace in the last four months, but that more needed to be done to enjoy lasting peace.
Alia stated this yesterday during the graduation ceremony of Course 9/2023 of the Air War College, held at the Nigerian Airforce Base, Makurdi, the state capital.
According to the governor, the presence of the armed forces in the state and their continuous engagement in significant events, will create confidence and hope for the people of the state, enabling them to sleep with their eyes closed.
He thanked the federal government and the Nigerian Armed Forces for their continued support to the state, saying although it was a happy day for the graduands, it was more of a happy day for the state.
Alia added that for his administration that just came in a few months ago, the success recorded by the graduands happened under his watch and was therefore elated.
Congratulating the graduands for the milestone, the governor charged them to continue to be good ambassadors even as they serve their fatherland, insisting that Benue remained the most hospitable state in the country for all.
Earlier, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, represented by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for constantly repositioning itself with a strong focus on human capital development, all aimed at curtailing the threats posed by insurgents and armed bandits in Benue and Nigeria at large.
He said the war college would enhance critical thinking in the Nigerian Airforce and would also provide proactiveness in the military decision-making processes, calling on the officers to always respect their call to duty.
He thanked the governor for finding out time out of his busy schedule to attend the graduation ceremony, saying Alia has demonstrated his willingness to collaborate with the Nigerian Armed Forces and they would give him the needed support to ensure that the most desired peace was restored in Benue.
