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The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Dr. Abiodun Essiet, has commenced a three-day working visit to Benue State focused on deepening discussions around security, border management, and community relations.
During the engagement, Dr. Essiet held a key meeting with Deputy Governor Barr. Sam Ode, who provided a detailed briefing on the state government’s ongoing initiatives to tackle insecurity and resolve boundary-related issues impacting various communities. The Deputy Governor emphasized Benue’s active collaboration with neighboring states, particularly Taraba and Nasarawa, in addressing cross-border security threats, land disputes, and other inter-community conflicts. He reaffirmed the state’s full commitment to working with federal authorities to ensure peace and stability for residents across Benue.
Dr. Essiet also paid a courtesy call on Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia at Government House, where she outlined the objectives of her visit and presented preliminary feedback collected from community interactions so far. Governor Alia used the opportunity to highlight some of the major concerns repeatedly raised by citizens, notably the deplorable condition of several federal roads in the state.
The governor pointed out that the poor state of these roads has significantly worsened security challenges by delaying the response time of security agencies to distress calls from affected communities. He stressed that improved road infrastructure is critical to enhancing rapid intervention and overall safety.
To ensure the success and continuity of the engagement, Governor Alia directed the state’s Department of Peace and Reconciliation and Community Engagement to collaborate closely with Dr. Essiet’s team throughout the duration of the visit.
Officials involved in the programme indicated that the collaboration is designed to foster more robust community dialogue, strengthen coordination with citizen platforms such as the Citizens’ Assembly, and guarantee that agreements and resolutions reached during the three-day exercise are implemented and sustained long after the visit concludes.
The initiative reflects a renewed push at both federal and state levels to address root causes of insecurity and communal tensions in the North Central region through structured, inclusive engagement.
