A former Benue State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Jeffrey Kuraun, has faulted the Governor Hyacinth Alia’s handling of the killings in the state.
Given what he called ‘The scale of resources in the state,’ Kuraun said the senseless killings are not only becoming deeply alarming but tragic.
He argued that the loss of lives requires more than national sympathy and rhetorical condemnations, even as he called on the clergyman-turned politician to show the leadership expected of him.
“Benue cannot continue to suffer avoidable bloodshed while receiving the largest monthly allocation for security among all Nigerian states. The security votes must translate to a security impact. Security votes are public funds meant to be used for operational intelligence, local law enforcement support, community policing, and proactive threat neutralisation.
“If Benue receives over ₦3bn monthly and yet communities remain exposed to attacks, then the effectiveness of fund utilisation is in question.
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“There should be no room for blame games; It is easy to point fingers at federal agencies, neighbouring states, or even past administrations, however, the first responsibility lies with the current custodians of power in Benue,” the APC chieftain said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Titled “Accountability over excuses, Benue must lead the security response”, Kuraun stated that leadership entails taking the initiative and not waiting for Abuja or external actors to intervene.
He maintained that a coordinated local response is sacrosanct, even as he advocated training for community policing units.
He further stressed that traditional rulers, local leaders, and vigilante networks must be formally engaged to help in the fight to keep Benue safe for all.
“There should be a public audit of security spending to rebuild public trust and ensure the votes are not misappropriated. There is a need for collaboration with federal security forces, which must be built on mutual accountability and not rivalry.
“Transparency is non-negotiable; the veil of secrecy over how security votes are spent must be lifted. The good people of Benue State have a right to ask: What exactly is ₦3bn achieving monthly? The era of unaccounted, opaque spending must give way to measurable security outcomes,” the statement further read.
He added that Benue is not just a line item on a budget, as it is home to millions of Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods are at stake.
“Lives must matter more than politics, and inaction is no longer acceptable”, he said.
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