Governor Hyacinth Alia has said his priority is to keep Benue State and secure her land for the people to farm unhindered, not just for the sake of feeding the nation, but to equally boost the economy of the state and country.
He vowed that he would not relent until terrorists are shown the way out of Benue State, adding that he will sustain his efforts in ensuring enforcement of the relevant laws and continuously pursue and comb terrorists’ havens to get them to face justice.
Governor Alia stated this when he paid an unscheduled visit to Taraku Mills in Gwer East Local Government Area of the state.
He was there to inspect the extent of the maintenance work at the multi-billion state-owned company.
Expressing satisfaction on the level of work done so far, he regretted that though Benue State farmers have the capacity to provide the needed raw materials to feed the company, if insecurity persists in the state and neighbouring states, including Nassarawa, Cross River, Kogi, and Taraba, and the people are unable to farm, reviving the company will become an exercise in futility.
He said: “That is why I am serious and not blinking at all over the issue of insecurity in my state.
“Terrorists must leave the state.
“We shall fight them until they leave our state for us.
“Nobody will take Benue land.”
The engineers servicing the machines, on the request of the Governor, powered several machines whose maintenance had been completed and demonstrated as evidence of the significant progress made towards restoring the factory to full operational capacity.
Alia noted that the level of work done on the machines was encouraging and working in line with the earlier projection for the commencement of production within a very short time.
The administration is presently working to resuscitate the multi-billion naira Taraku Mills Company that has gone comatose for several years.
Alia called on farmers across the state, particularly those cultivating soybeans, maize, and groundnuts, to increase production in readiness to supply the factory with adequate raw materials throughout the year once test-running is completed and full operations begin.
He explained that the revival of the mill would create a strong value chain around soybeans and maize, stimulate agricultural activities, generate employment, and further strengthen the state’s economy.
He pointed out that the Benue State’s economy had already begun witnessing significant improvement through the reforms introduced by the Federal Government and his administration over the past three years.
Governor Alia commended the team of engineers handling the maintenance works for their dedication and professionalism, while also appreciating the host community for safeguarding the factory against vandalism and theft over the years.
He described members of the host community as disciplined, responsible, and committed to the success of the project.
