Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom Thursday urged the Federal Government to convene a Sovereign National Conference to chart the way forward for Nigeria and strengthen its unity.
Governor Ortom stated this while speaking at the Interdenominational Independence Thanksgiving Service organised by the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in collaboration with the state government.
He stated that the teething challenges facing the country culminating in high level corruption, insecurity, impunity and marginalization necessitated his call, stressing that the sovereign national conference would provide the platform for frank discussions to strengthen the unity, peace and security of the country.
The governor also called for implementation of recommendations of the 2014 National Confab convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan, pointing out that the conference proffered solutions to the multifaceted problems confronting Nigeria.
He said at 60, Nigeria is in need of leaders who can steer the ship of development for the country and restore confidence in the minds of the people.
Governor Ortom appreciated the State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), for always supporting his administration through prayers, saying the state had crossed many hurdles due to divine mercies.
He also kicked against the intended regulation of the church by the Federal Government through the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, saying the legislation would amount to dabbling into affairs of the church when government could not manage its agencies well.
CAN Chairman in the state, Reverend Akpen Leva, decried the suffering of Nigerians at 60 and noted that there are signs of unbearable hunger as 2021 approaches due to insecurity, even as he described the CAMA law of the Federal Government as an unpopular policy.
