Lawmakers demand Dan-ali’s resignation over remarks

• Council boss tasks vigilance groups on patrol

THE Benue House of Assembly yesterday called on the Minister of Defence, Brig.-gen. Mansur Dan-ali to immediately resign his position for saying the state’s anti-open grazing law was responsible for the killing of 73 persons by suspected herdsmen on New Year Day.

The resolution followed a debate on a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Majority Leader, Benjamin Adanyi.

The speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, ruling on the motion hinged the decision to what he described as the malicious, vexatious and unfortunate comments by the minister, adding that the remarks indicated that “he lacked everything to be in that position.”

According to the House, “his unfortunate comments clearly show that the minister is completely unaware of the security issues in the sensitive ministry he is over seeing. By the utterances, he is a conspirator and should be treated as such.”

The lawmakers also condemned what they termed “reckless utterances by the minister despite the fact that the killings predate the Anti-open Grazing Prohibition Law validly enacted by the Benue State government.”

Meanwhile, the chairman of Aniocha North Local Council of Delta State, Mr. Chuks Oseme, has challenged the vigilance groups in the area to intensify night patrol, at the boundaries.