Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom says the law establishing the State Community Volunteer Guards 2000 as amended will give teeth to the body to help combat security challenges in the state.
The Governor spoke Tuesday, October 26th, 2021 at the New Banquet Hall, Benue Peoples House Makurdi while assenting to the amended law on Community Volunteer Guards enacted in the year 2000.
Governor Ortom directed relevant authorities to immediately conclude the recruitment of the personnel into the volunteer Corps where such has not been done.
Five persons each from all the kindreds in the state from the ages of 18 to 50 years are to be recruited as personnel in the Community Volunteer Guards.
While stressing that security agents are grossly inadequate and need to be complemented in the fight against insecurity, the Governor said traditional rulers would oversee the recruitment of the guards as it is community based.
The Governor lamented that six Benue children have been kidnapped in Zamfara and kept in custody by insurgents, saying they are children that had been supported by their parents to acquire education and then were kidnapped on their way for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.
He stated that those who laid down their lives for the preservation of Benue land are the real defenders of the Benue Valley, stressing that history will forever remember them.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Benue State, Barrister Michael Gusa while presenting the amended law for assent said the amendments accommodated a new command structure and gives room for use of permissible arms as contained in the firearms Act.
At the event before commencement of the State Executive Council meeting, various awards were presented to Governor Samuel Ortom by the Deputy Governor, Engineer Benson Abounu while Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mrs Ladi-Ajene Isegbe tendered her resignation to pursue further political ambitions.
