David Olofu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, says the developmental challenges in Benue South senatorial district are surmountable with commitment, unity of purpose, and coordination.

Mr Olofu, a two-time commissioner for finance in Benue and a prospective aspirant for the Benue South senatorial district position in 2027, said this at an interactive session with members of the Idoma Editors Forum in Abuja on Friday.

“I have observed within this period that those of us from Benue South have challenges. These challenges are not beyond what we can surmount.

“I believe that in terms of training, in terms of experience, in terms of exposure, and in terms of network and goodwill, I will be able to provide the coordination required for us to overcome these challenges.

“It is time for us to stop the lamentation and declare that going forward, this is what we need to be doing differently. I know exactly what we should be doing differently,’’ he said.

The immediate past senior technical adviser to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum said that the development of the zone requires collective efforts by all sons and daughters from the zone.

“To overcome the challenges in the zone, I have observed it is not a one-man show. It is an effort that requires all hands on deck, including those of you who are living outside the zone.

“This includes defining and developing a framework that incorporates all of our efforts toward achieving that goal of making life better for our people, which democracy is supposed to be all about,’’ he said.

He said that the National Assembly is not just about lawmaking but also about ensuring good governance so that Nigerians can feel the impact of the laws.

Mr Olofu said that if elected, he will do things differently by constituting the Benue South People’s Assembly, comprising the senator, House of Representatives members, House of Assembly members, and chairmen of all the nine local government areas in the zone.

According to him, each ward in the senatorial district will have a representative at the assembly, which will meet annually just before the preparation of the national and state budgets.

He explained that the assembly is essentially an agenda-setting forum for the representatives of the zone.

Mr Olofu said that 2027 is an opportunity for the people of Benue South to do things differently to get the desired results they deserve as a people. He said that he has consulted widely with critical stakeholders of the zone, describing the reception as overwhelming and encouraging.

“Consultation will continue. Even meeting you today is part of my consultation. I expect that at the end of all this conversation, by the end of this year and going into 2026, I can now come up with a comprehensive programme dealing with the situation that we have at hand,’’ he said.

(NAN)