Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has congratulated Muslim faithful for successfully completing the Ramadan fast felicitated with them on the occasion of this year’s Eid-El-Fitri celebration.
The governor, in his Eid-El-Fitri message, while wishing all Muslims a happy, peaceful and rewarding Eid-El-Fitr celebration, also urged them to imbibe the core values and lessons of Ramadan such as piety, generosity, peaceful coexistence and justice to guide their relations with fellow human beings.
Governor Ortom, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, explained that although the season is expected to stir celebrations, the mood of the state remained sober owing to the mindless attacks that Benue has experienced since the beginning of the year.
He said the humanitarian crisis rocking the state has overstretched its resources with over 500,000 persons currently displaced and about 180,000 of that number living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
The governor however expressed the State Government’s determination to ensure the return of the IDPs to their ancestral homes and guarantee the resumption in school of the 80,000 affected children.
He pledged the resolve of his administration to continue to defend the freedom and rights of its people through implementation of the Benue Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law which seeks to protect both farmers and herders.
Governor Ortom is optimistic that though the challenges of governance have been huge in the last three years, the present administration in the state remains focused on fulfilling its promises to the people.