The Chairman of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Maurice Orwough, has distributed 51 motorcycles to kindred heads as part of efforts to improve security and strengthen grassroots administration across the council.
Orwough presented the motorcycles on Wednesday in Guma, explaining that the initiative was designed to help traditional leaders respond more quickly to emergencies and security threats within their communities.
According to him, kindred heads have close links with rural residents and are often the first to receive information when crises occur. He said the motorcycles would make it easier for them to reach affected areas and take immediate action before government security agencies arrive.
The chairman said the donation was part of his administration’s wider strategy to restore peace across Guma’s 10 council wards. He disclosed that significant progress had been made in the return of residents displaced by insecurity, with about 80 per cent reportedly back in their ancestral communities and engaged in farming.
“When I assumed office, insecurity was a major challenge across the local government. Today, about 80 per cent of the situation we inherited has been addressed and we now have relative peace,” Orwough said.
He added that the council had also supplied about 30 motorcycles to security agencies, vigilante groups and hunters, while vehicles had been provided or repaired to strengthen security operations.
Beyond security, Orwough said his administration had embarked on several infrastructure projects, including the construction of five bridges, eight boreholes and about five kilometres of roads to reconnect communities and improve access.
Some of the projects, he noted, included bridges along the Daudu-Ukpam-Gbajimba route and the Ngban-Udei road, as well as interventions in hospitals and other public facilities.
The council chairman also disclosed that the Daudu Police Division had been renovated and subsequently upgraded to an Area Command, which he said would enhance the effectiveness of security personnel in the area.
He said efforts were also ongoing to renovate the council secretariat and other administrative facilities to improve the delivery of services at the grassroots.
Orwough further revealed that motorcycles and other vehicles had been made available to councillors and council officials, with plans to provide more official vehicles for supervisors, advisers and other key personnel.
According to him, the council has also assisted residents by settling hospital bills and providing scholarships to support vulnerable members of the community.
On efforts to tackle insecurity along Guma’s borders, Orwough said he had been engaging the chairmen and traditional rulers of Awe, Doma and Keana local government areas in neighbouring Nasarawa State.
He explained that Guma shares borders with the three councils, making cooperation essential to preventing criminals from exploiting boundary areas.
Orwough said he had visited the chairman of Awe twice, Doma twice and Keana three times, while also holding discussions with traditional rulers in the areas. He noted that cooperation from Awe and Doma had been encouraging, although there were still difficulties in securing similar cooperation from Keana.
Despite the challenges, the chairman expressed confidence that sustained dialogue would improve collaboration.
He said his administration was focused on leaving behind a strong legacy through improved security, infrastructure and grassroots development.
“I want to make a difference. I told the people that when I come into office and when I leave, it will be difficult for another chairman to match what we have achieved,” he said.
Orwough maintained that the projects and interventions recorded so far represented only the beginning of his administration’s plans for Guma.
He said the initiatives were part of efforts to fulfil the promises made to residents and create better conditions for communities across the local government.
(NAN)