Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has called on the Federal Government to allow “responsible citizens” to carry sophisticated weapons such as AK47 as a way to fight insecurity in the country.
The governor stated this in a paper presented on Tuesday during a virtual meeting convened by Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Channels TV reports on Wednesday.
Mr Ortom said the policy should be backed by a strict legal framework to prevent illegal possession of arms by the citizenry without exception.
His paper was titled “Insecurity and Governance Challenges in the New Normal”.
The governor recently clashed with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria over the group’s plan to set up a vigilante group in Benue.
Ortom also urged the Federal Government to increase funding for security agencies to enable them tackle insecurity.
He also advocated for ranching as the best practice of animal husbandry.
Ortom concluded his presentation by stating that Benue State has made significant contributions to national development and as the food basket of the nation, if the state is threatened by insecurity, the negative impact would be on the entire country.
