By Aondowase Kajo, Abuja

Governorship hopeful in Benue come 2023, Dr Paul Angya on Thursday decried the spate of challenges the State has faced, just as he felicitated with Governor Samuel Ortom and the entire people of Benue for achieving the milestone of 46-years-old as a state, having been created in February 1976.

Dr Angya who’s contesting on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said inspite of daunting challenges of insecurity and absence of federal presence at every step of its creation and existence especially in the last few years of the APC led Federal Government, the State has made has recorded tremendous progress under the Stewardship of Governor Samuel Ortom.

“I want to seize this occasion to salute the courage, strength, resilience and tenacity of the Benue people who have been besieged, attacked and slaughtered by Fulani Herdsmen in the last eight years or so, with large swaths of farmlands from Logo, Guma, makurdi, Gwer west, Agathu, Ado, Kwande etc., under Fulani occupation and hundreds of thousands of our people (survivors) of these atrocities in IDP camps, thus crippling our agricultural production capacity by more than 50%, like everything else that has been negatively impacted by this insecurity, yet Benue under the leadership of his Excellency Dr, Samuel Ortom has been able to survive and even record appreciable progress”, expressed Dr Angya.
He described as lion-hearted for standing up to the national bullies and showing exemplary leadership, the former Acting Director General, SON also commended the efforts of past and revered civilian leaders such as first civilian governor of the State, Aper Aku, and Reverend Fr. Moses Adasu, as well as Sir George Akume and Dr. Gabriel Suswam for laying a solid foundation and contribution to where the state is today.

He continued, “With current leaders like Dr. Iorchia Ayu, Senator David Mark, Dr. Samuel Ortom, and Senator Dr. Gabriel Suswam, Benue will surely rise to be the shining star amongst states of Nigeria that it was destined to be”.

The guber aspirantI pledged to take off from where Dr. Ortom stops come 2023, so he will continue with the policy of defending Benue people and it’s land, as well as tackling the social economic and security challenges that continue to beseech the state, “should it please the good Lord to handover the mantle of leadership of the state to me”.

Pledging to continue with the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law enacted by current administration to check the herders menace, Dr Angya prayed for the mercies of God, His Grace and compassion to come down and cast a shield around  Benue and its people, now and forever.