President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed the amnesty programme introduced by Benue state governor, Dr Samuel Ortom as part of measures to ensure lasting peace in the state.
The programme according to the governor is targeted at getting illegally armed youths in the state to surrender their weapons and embrace a new way of life.
Ortom disclosed President Buhari’s endorsement of the programme while briefing State House correspondents after meeting the President on security matters on Tuesday.
The governor said the President was impressed with the success of the amnesty programme which started last year, and gave him the nod to sustain it.
The governor said that Benue state government would in turn support efforts of the federal government on the war against corruption because the optimum use of the country’s vast resources at a time of dwindling oil revenues was seriously hampered by corruption.
Responding to insinuations that he diverted the state bail-out funds leaving the state civil servants withouts salaries, Ortom said such allegation was borne out of ignorance, and that the State Commissioner for Finance had appropriately explained the true situation to the State House of Assembly.
