Okowa raises alarm over Fulani herdsmen’s attack

Published 9 hours ago

on March 8, 2018

By Dominic Adewole and Gabriel Efeduku



Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday raised the alarm over persistent attacks on people of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Okowa stated this at Isiokolo, Headquarters of Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state during the continuation of his administration’s town hall meetings across the state.



The governor, who expressed worry over the development, reiterated that the state government would not cede land for the establishment of cattle colonies in any part of the state, calling on the Federal Government to come out with workable policy that would help in curbing the herdsmen attacks on innocent people across the country.



He said: “Unfortunately, in our state, we are under a siege, but we are trying to manage it the best way possible. “We have made a statement that we would not support cattle colonies in Delta State because we believe strongly that we do not have enough land for our farmers considering the fact that a lot of our land is already degraded by oil exploration activities.



“We have raised these issues along with other states as we have no doubt that the clashes we have here is not limited to Delta State. We believe the Federal Government needs to work out a more fashionable policy that would checkmate this and we are happy that the Vice President is currently leading a committee to look into this. But before then, we would continue to work with the state Commissioner of Police on how to look into the issues involved.”



Meanwhile, the governor yesterday said his administration had completed the construction of over 80 roads across the three senatorial districts of the state, even as he pointed out that another 108 road had already been awarded which are at various stages of completion.



The governor, who said his vision-driven administration had a high sense of collaborative tendencies to deliver any contract awarded, explained that over 3,369 unemployed youths had also been trained and assisted to start up their businesses in the past two years.



Okowa, while reeling out his administration’s achievements in the area of road construction during the Town Hall meeting at Isiokolo, yesterday, said they include the construction of Isiokolo/Orhoaor/Ekreravwe Roads, and Ezhionum/Abbi Road in Kwale, Ndokwa West LGA.



Apart from this, the governor inspected the ongoing construction of the Senate Building at the state-owned Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka.





Despite, he lamented the challenge posed by the destruction of Forcados major oil trunk, insisting that his administration suffered setback for 16 months until the pipeline was repaired and came on stream this year.



While he urged the people of the area to give peace a chance for more developmental projects to be cited in the council, the council chairman, Mrs. Faith Majemite recalled that boundary issues with Edo State and herdsmen attacks were major challenges of the council.



She said: “This is adversely affecting the supply of food produce in the area and resulting to starvation and depleting economic activities. Our people cannot go to their farms freely because of fear of being attacked, raped or murdered by Fulani herdsmen.”

She, therefore, urged the governor to prevail on the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to expedite action on the festering issue of delineation between the state and its neighbouring Edo State.

YEah right, pretending to care

The animal they raise alarm instead of to empower him people