Benue State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused Governor Hyacinth Alia of contributing to the worsening insecurity in the state.
The party bemoaned the worsening insecurity in the state which is further accentuated by Governor Alia's incompetence and insensitivity.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Bemgba Iortyom in Makurdi today.
Mr Iortyom in the statement said: " The party recalls that when the governor publicly confessed to having had a pact with bandits in the state during the campaigns, whom he referred to as "my brothers in the bush", it reflected the fact he had planted a time-bomb of insecurity owing to his desperation for power.
"It was, however, the expectation that he would diffuse that time bomb by carefully but decisively moving by a "carrot and stick" approach to disarm and rehabilitate the bandits for peace and security to reign in the state.
"This has not been the case as Governor Alia, by his conduct, has shown worrisome incompetence and lack of understanding of security matters, the visible 'red flag' being his inability to put in place a security administration regime well over 4 months after he assumes office.
"To this day the Benue State Governor has no Security Adviser who should liaise with security agencies in the state as is required by basic operational protocols towards achieving a coordinated security agenda and its effective implementation."
"Rather sadly, PDP is aware of a brewing tussle for the office of Security Adviser between an ex NCO who it is alleged was demoted from the rank of Sergeant to Corporal in the Nigerian Army, and a retired Army Colonel, with the ex NCO, feeling a sense of entitlement to the office on the grounds he hails from the governor's Kunav clan, whereas the retired Colonel is of the Ihyarev clan.
"The result of such chaos in the Alia government is an emboldening of the bandits who have taken to kidnapping high profile figures across the state, in addition to other crimes they are alleged to have been responsible for since the advent of this government.
"Last Sunday, Governor Alia's Commissioner of Information and Culture, Matthew Abo, was abducted from his home by armed men suspected to be those 'brothers of the governor in the bush' who are reportedly demanding N60 million as ransom for his freedom and are said to have placed the Commissioner's cries for mercy while being tortured on speaker during phone calls to his family members.
"PDP empathizes with the families of the abducted Commissioner and other victims of such acts of terror, and the party regrets to note that it is a shocking highlight of the governor's insensitivity that he chose the day after the Commissioner's abduction to embark on a jamboree in celebration of his victory at the election Tribunal, while to this day he has failed to give any assurances to the public over the unfortunate incident.
"Governor Alia must take seriously the security of the state and arrest the worsening trend of kidnappings and wanton killings by Fulani herdsmen and his bandit "brothers in the bush" as he is ultimately responsible for every drop of innocent blood shed by those terrorists.
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