Hon. Ugbor calls for unity, peace among Benue State leaders, looks forward to a Tiv man for Nigerian President
From Benedict Iorgyer, Abuja
The Honourable Member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, Hon. Terseer Ugbor, has called for unity, peace and collaboration among leaders in Benue State in order to effectively fight insecurity and promote development in the state. Ugbor made this call at a book launch titled: “Before Tiv Nation is Doomed”, written by Washima Harris Tersoo and presented at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja on Wednesday.
Hon. Ugbor expressed optimism in the abilities of the Tiv nation and observed that no ethnic group in Nigeria has the capacity to exterminate the people, stressing that Tiv people are hardworking and a resilient nation who have the capacity to achieve great feats in Nigeria. However, unity, peace and collaboration among its leaders is of great importance if they must stand tall in the committee of nations in the country.
“I believe that the Tiv nation is not doomed and can never be doomed. Tiv are the fourth biggest ethnic group in Nigeria. We are spread across five states. We have a history of resilience and capacity and there is no way that anything in Nigeria will make the Tiv people doomed. But if we don’t work towards restoring the dignity of Tiv nation in the committee of nations in Nigeria, we are setting ourselves up to be marginalized and forgotten.
“We know that with unity and collaboration amongst leaders of the state at all levels, Tiv people will definitely bounce back in the country. Hopefully, we will one day rule this country as President of Nigeria because we deserve it and we have the intellect, capacity and the people to rule Nigeria effectively. So, I look forward to the day when a Tiv man will be President of Nigeria; I look forward to the day when the Tiv people will play a more important role I the affairs of our great country, Nigeria, which we have been doing for many years as the food basket of the nation”, he noted.
Hon. Ugbor promised to continue to contribute to the fight against insurgency in Benue State, emphasizing that he will not relent until the insurgents are defeated. He said that Benue people are predominantly farmers and will not hand over their land to the invaders under any guise.
“We are going through very difficult times in Benue State and everybody acknowledges that it has not been easy for the ordinary man on the streets of Benue and across the rural communities. We will do everything within our powers to settle our IDPs back to their ancestral homes.
“Benue people will not give up a single inch of our land to the invaders because we need our land for farming. We are predominantly farmers so we will continue to ensure that the land that is occupied by bandits is taken back so that our people can go back to their farmers”, Ugbor emphasized.
It is good to note that Hon. Ugbor is among the leaders of Benue State in the National Assembly who has been at the vanguard of fighting insecurity in the state. Besides raising motions to tackle the menace on the floor of the Green Chambers, he has facilitated humanitarian aid to the state and has been working with both local and international bodies to improve the humanitarian situation and put an end to the bloodlettings in the state.
Besides the fight against insurgency, the Kwande/Ushongo Federal law-maker, Chairman on Student Loan and Deputy Chairman, Committee on Environment has embarked on numerous infrastructural projects and youth empowerment programmes. He has also sponsored numerous development-driven bills, including the bill on endangered species, which has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This bill seeks to promote a sustainable environment and protect the wild life. Thus, if signed into law by the executive president, it will be a leap forward in the country’s quest for environmental sustainability.
Also, the Kwande/Ushongo representative has sponsored a bill on Federal Polytechnic Wanune which has led to the approval of a National Open University Study Centre in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. Besides, he sponsored the bill on student loans and chaired the committee which led to the eventual establishment of NELFUND. Others include the Code of Conduct Bill, which seeks to expand the powers of public servants to involve in philanthropy and community projects and the Environmental Justice Bill, which seeks to ensure that communities affected by pollution and degradation are given the desired attention. Hon. Ugbor has also authored many books on environment and sustainable development among which is “Recycling in Nigeria: How to Start and run a Successful Recycling Business”.
