…Cancels planned visit to Benue to avert bloodshed
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party , Mr Peter Obi, has narrated how a threat by Governor Hyacinth Alia forced him to cancel his planned visit to Benue State.
Obi who said he was the target of the Governor’s threat that the security and safety of any high profile individual visiting Benue without his express permission could not be guaranteed, added that he had to pull back from the visit so as not to risk the lives of his security aides.
The former Governor of Anambra State, in a statement issued in Abuja, on Monday, expressed concern about what he described as “an unsettling incident.”
Obi who said he had scheduled visits to Plateau and Benue States as part of his ongoing outreach efforts, aimed at supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and promoting health and education initiatives, expressed dismay at the attitude of Gov. Alia.
According to the statement, the visits scheduled for Sunday, 13th April, in Plateau; and Monday, 14th April, in Benue, were to include courtesy calls on both State Governors, visits to IDP camps, and interactions with institutions such as schools of nursing.
Obi explained that while he personally reached out to the Plateau State Government to notify it of his intended visit; similar efforts in Benue were rebuffed.
He said that the Plateau State Governor had welcomed him and provided all necessary support, allowing him to spend meaningful time with the victims at the Bokkos IDP camp.
Obi explained that unlike Plateau, several attempts to personally reach Benue State Governor were without success.
He, however, said that he eventually succeeded in speaking with the Governor’s aide-de-camp (ADC), who informed him that the Governor was engaged in an important meeting but promised to return his call before midnight.
But the Governor’s promised call, according to Obi, never came, and days later, the ADC sent him message, claiming he had been unable to reach the Governor.
Obi described this as “deeply troubling.”
However, on Monday after his visit to Plateau where he identified with the IDPs, Obi decided to proceed with his Benue trip but decided to cancel it following a disturbing message he received from the Governor’s ADC midway in his journey.
Obi said that when he left Jos and got to Akwanga (towards Lafia) around 10am, his security team intercepted a press statement issued by the Benue State Government, directly threatening his visit.
He expressed shock how the Governor’s threat outlined his itinerary which he had before then, shared with the Governor’s ADC and security agencies in Benue.
“The statement outlined precisely the itinerary I had earlier shared with both the ADC and security operatives in Benue through my own security team.”
Obi emphasized that his visit was purely based on humanitarian grounds aimed at supporting critical areas of development, including health care, education, and the welfare of IDPs.
He noted that even before joining politics, he had always empathized with the downtrodden, recalling how as Governor of Anambra State, he visited Haiti to identify with victims of a devastating earthquake.
“People may recall how, during the Haiti earthquake, I had to seek permission from then President Goodluck Jonathan to travel and offer support,” Obi said.
Obi explained that his intended engagements in Benue included a visit to a school under construction by the bishop in Gboko, a nursing school, and an IDP camp—reflecting his enduring commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable Nigerians.
The LP presidential candidate in 2023 who vowed never to be deterred by the antics of his detractors, advised against politicizing the welfare of those in need.
“May God help us as we rebuild our nation and strive for a new Nigeria, where we do not politicise everything, but instead live and act for the common good of all Nigerians, especially those in need.”
Herdsmen have constantly raided communities in Benue State, killing and sacking hapless natives from their ancestral land.
Victims of the latest attack were among the people Obi had wanted to visit at the IDP camp in his aborted trip.
