Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has said restoring security across the state is critical to reviving the long-abandoned Taraku Mills, pledging that his administration will sustain its crackdown on criminal elements threatening lives, farmlands and agricultural production.
The governor made the declaration during an unscheduled inspection of ongoing rehabilitation works at the state-owned Taraku Mills in Gwer East Local Government Area, where he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting farmers and securing Benue’s agricultural economy.
“Terrorists must leave Benue State. We will continue to enforce the law and pursue them until justice is served. Nobody will take Benue land,” Alia said, stressing that safeguarding lives and farmlands remains a top priority.
He noted that while Benue farmers have the capacity to supply the mill with soybeans, maize and groundnuts, recurring insecurity in parts of Benue and neighbouring Nasarawa, Cross River, Kogi and Taraba states continues to pose a major threat to farming activities.
According to the governor, lasting peace is essential for the successful resuscitation of Taraku Mills, which has remained dormant for several years.
During the inspection, engineers handling the rehabilitation project powered several refurbished machines, demonstrating what Alia described as significant progress toward restoring the factory to full operation. He expressed satisfaction with the pace of work, saying the project remains on schedule and that production is expected to commence after test-running in the coming weeks.
Alia also urged farmers across the state to increase the cultivation of soybeans, maize and groundnuts in preparation for the mill’s reopening.
He said reviving Taraku Mills would strengthen Benue’s agricultural value chain, create employment opportunities, stimulate economic growth and reinforce the state’s reputation as Nigeria’s food basket.
The governor added that economic reforms introduced by both the Federal Government and his administration over the past three years are beginning to deliver positive results.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, Alia commended the engineers for their professionalism and praised members of the host community for safeguarding the facility against vandalism and theft during the years it remained inactive. He described the community as disciplined and committed to the successful restoration of the mill.
