Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue said on Tuesday that he had accepted the apology tendered by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau and had forgiven him even before he tendered his apology.

Mr. Ortom stated this in Makurdi when a delegation from Plateau led by Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Town Planning, Festus Fuater, paid him a condolence visit.

The Plateau governor had blamed the violence on Benue state’s newly-implemented anti-open grazing law, telling journalists he had warned the governor to seek alternatives.

Mr. Ortom denied receiving such advice.

On Tuesday, the governor said there was no need for the blame game because it held nothing tangible for the growth and development of their states.

The governor stressed the need for him and his Plateau counterpart to continue to work together for the overall benefit of their states.

Ortom said they had been working and reasoning together since they were elected and there was need for the synergy and collaboration to be sustained.

He said the challenges bedeviling the two states were same, ranging from insecurity and underdevelopment, hence the need to synergise to nip them in the bud permanently.

Earlier, leader of the delegation, Mr. Fuater told the governor that they came to sympathise with him and his citizens over the unfortunate incidents of Fulani herdsmen attacks in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas (LGAs) that claimed lives.

He described the murder of the innocent victims as “one murder too many’”.

Fuater lamented that Plateau had faced and was still passing through similar circumstances, hence the need for the two states to come together to tackle the insecurity head on.

He further lamented that the two states had lost many lives to incessant attacks on their people by Fulani herdsmen.

The commissioner prayed God to give them the grace to put an end to the incessant crises and also give their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

NAN