The Federal Government (FG) has requested media and public commentators’
restraint in coverage and comments on the fallouts of what it described as
recent farmers and herders clash in Benue State, so as not to inflame the
situation, reports ITRealms.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, made this call at the weekend, told ITRealms in a press statement that
Federal Government is working hard to address the situation with a view to preventing
a recurrence, not just in Benue State, but nationwide.
“It’s incumbent on the media and public commentators not to
engage in actions that can aggravate the crisis,” he said.
Mohammed explained that for avoidance of doubt and fear of
being misunderstood that “we are neither saying the media should not cover the
crisis nor asking public commentators to desist from commenting on it. All we
are saying is that both must be circumspect.”
He pointed out that the current poisoned atmosphere of “incendiary
comments, unrestrained use of pictures and footages that offend human
sensibilities as well as fingerpointing can only exacerbate the situation and
complicate ongoing efforts to end the crisis.”
Further, Mohammed said the Federal Government is absolutely
saddened by the loss of lives and the destruction of property resulting from
the crisis, and recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, in commiserating with
the Benue Governor, unreservedly condemned the killings and also assured of the
necessary security measures to prevent further attacks and bring the
perpetrators to book.
He insisted that FG has mapped out short and long-term solutions
to the incessant clashes between farmers and herders, including a planned
conference of stakeholders, and assured of the government's strong
determination to find a lasting solution to the farmers/herders' clashes.
Ayo Midele/GEE
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