The Benue State House of Assembly has appealed to Governor Samuel Ortom to help facilitate the establishment of the North Central Development Commission in a joint effort with other governors in the sub-region.

The lawmakers made the resolve as they resumed plenary on Thursday to debate key national issues, one of which is the insecurity issue relating to attacks by herdsmen.

A motion moved by the Majority Leader, Representative Benjamin Adanyi, prayed the House to also appeal to National Assembly lawmakers from the north-central region to pursue a bill in this direction.

Outlining the effects of herdsmen attacks in the region, Adanyi opined that such bill would help rebuild devastated communities in Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states, as well as Southern Kaduna in Northwest Nigeria.

He likened the killings and destruction in the region to what the Boko Haram terrorists did in the northeast.

The lawmaker explained that the incidence warranted the Federal Government to establish the North-East Development Commission, with proposed funding of 3% deductions from Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue collected nationwide.

He further questioned why such amount of VAT was collected from Benue State to fund the reconstruction of the northeast while excluding the state which he said was confronted with acute internal displacement challenges.

Following a few amendments of the motion by the Speaker of the House, Honourable Terkimbi Ikyange, the lawmakers unanimously passed the proposal.

Subsequently, the Benue South caucus of the assembly met to discuss the brutal killing of a soldier in Agatu Local Government Area of the state.

The Minority Leader of the House, Sule Audu, appealed to the Nigerian Army to halt the alleged destruction of Agatu villages in a retaliation move. (Channels TV)

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