Elder statesman and former Minister of Steel, Wantaregh Paul Unongo, Monday, alerted that the country is sliding into a no-state owing to the ceaseless killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.
Unongo’s reaction came on the heels of last Sunday’s attack on Kwande, his home local government area, by suspected militant herdsmen that left eight dead, many injured and several property destroyed.
The elder statesman, who spoke shortly after leading his kinsmen from Kwande to a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom in Makurdi, urged the federal government to stand up to its responsibility by ending the bloodbath in the country.
The former Minister said, “My reaction to this latest killing is like I do in all killings anywhere in the world, they shouldn’t have happened.
“I am calling on the federal government to do the needful by taking effective action to contain all killings. The primary responsibility of the President and the government is, not just the enthronement of law and order, it is also the protection of lives and property of the people and citizens of that country.
“If we cannot stay in our homes anymore, there would be no Nigeria, it is a fact.
“I pray that as journalists you all will tell the government that these killings have to stop or government must suppress the killings because it is not doing anybody any good.
“We should never allow our country to gravitate to where human life is so cheap. A human being is not to be seen and treated as a piece of stick. The killing of human beings is an abomination.
“Nigeria is deteriorating into a no-state. Let us advise our government, let us help them to stop these killings.
On the possibility of the Benue people voting President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 elections, Unongo said: “Benue people are educated enough, we know what is good for us.
“We will examine the manifestos of all the political parties and, of course, we the leadership will make demands, in view of all the experiences we have passed through.
“The political party or parties that promise us we will consider after we must have assessed them on the chances of delivering on their promises. That will determine our votes for the parties.”
