MAKURDI – Governor Samuel Ortom has promised to comply and obey the agitation of the people of the state if they ask him to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for another party.
He stated that whatever the people of the state wanted him to do as regard jumping sheep or any other thing he would not hesitate to comply.
Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom receives Ekiti state Governor, Ayodele Fayose to the state
The Governor who was reacting to the request by Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state who had earlier admonished him to “change to another vehicle if the vehicle conveying you cannot take you to your destination and or is faulty.”
Governor Fayose who led a delegation to Makurdi to commiserate with the people of the state over the new year days killings in Guma and Logo local government areas lamented that the federal was failing in its responsibilities to protect the lives and property of Nigerians.
He also donated the sum of N10million to assist the state government ameliorate the sufferings of the affected person especially the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
Fayose said “I want to believe that is what happened here in a Benue state can best be described as an ethnic cleansing.
“We must not forget that this country belongs to our fathers’ fathers. Any attempt to dislodge you will cause grave consequences for the people that want to dislodge you.
“Lots of people are in power today but they will certainly be overtaken by events. A lot of leaders of old have already been overtaken by events. But history will be written of all leaders that have governed this country that in their time the Benue people were killed. People were made to suffer, many innocent blood was spilled and Benue people were buried in mass graves.
“When has human beings turned to cows? When have Benue people become less mortals? And they are being seen as being under cows, being killed for reason of grazing.
“I want to assure you that God has not left Benue. We will stay together to defeat terror. If a government can say they have passed terrorism law, their is no terrorism that is more than what has happened in Benue state.
“What does it cost the federal government, if you say you are charging people for terrorism and hate speech, what about the killers herdsmen?
“I charge the federal government to stop ruling Nigeria by double standards. This is double standard. People steal and engage graft and they are given bail.
“Killing of souls and sacking their communities is terrorism. I made the grazing law and I’m standing by it, Benue must stand by their own. Even if they will kill the whole of Benue people stand by your law that was made for the safety and peace of the people, the anti open grazing law must not be compromised.
“Let them continue to kill, the blood of the dead shall find them out. Don’t be intimidated or harassed.
“How can killing take place in a state repeatedly in one week despite the Governor’s alert. They don’t want Nigeria to exist as one. But God has put us together as one and we will remain one.
“There is no country in the world where they are rearing cow with AK47. Where did they find the guns from. Such guns are attributed to the security outfits and they have serial numbers. Those serial numbers recovered from a few of them who gave it to them, how did they the herdsmen come by AK47.
“How can you kill people freely without a check. This similar thing happened in Ghana, their government dealt with it decisively and it stopped.
“That means those beating the drums for the people keeping AK47 weapons are at the back of the house. Some people are encouraging them.
“How can anybody come to Benue and say its a communal clash. Farmers are not bearing arms, they are peaceful people. What we see happening here is not a clash but herdsmen determined to sack farmers at all cost.
“When you say you want people to get disarmed, you are not disarming those that carry AK47. I don’t understand that. Are we saying that these herdsmen are more powerful than our military?
The law was made for offenders, so if they have nothing to hide, why are they afraid of the law. If they have nothing to hide why are they fighting the law? The law will take its course. They are there today, but God is there forever.
Governor Ortom is running from pillar to post to protect his people and he cannot find peace.
“Please if you are in a vehicle and it is not take you to your destination and is breaking down please look for another vehicle. Moreover God has made it easy because there are many brands of vehicles and you have empty ones.
“You are a sitting Governor so you have the privilege of first offer of refusal.
“I am the oldest serving Governor in Nigeria today haven served as Governor under Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan and today I am the king of the road in President Buhari’s government.
“Benue is not enjoying anything now other than killings. Enough is enough. Governor Ortom if the vehicle carrying you is not good enough look for another vehicle.
“Where his people want him to go he should go because he did not become Governor of his own volition, he was elected by the people. So whatever they want him to do he will do.
“If this happening to Ortom in APC people should read in between the lines and know what has been happening to PDP Governors.
“Let me say the truth, this man Ortom has signed a life and death agreement with his people, to live for them or to die instead of them to die. Our prayer is that non of them will die.
“The Federal government is not protecting anybody, they are shying away from their responsibilities. They seem to be taking sides.
How can a Governor give you advance warning under secret security information and that thing still happens?
How can you tell a Governor, in a situation that Ortom has found himself that he should go and accommodate the people killing you?Nobody will tell me to go and accommodate evil in my land.
Responding, Governor Samuel Ortom said “the death of the people buried will open a new chapter in Benue state and Nigeria.
“Nigeria can never be the same, Benue can never be the same because there is going to be a paradigm shift, there is going to be a turn around never witnessed in our history. And one of them is that I have joined my brother Fayose to be outspoken on things that are done wrongly in this country. We have a constitution and laws guiding us and I believe in the rule of law and due process and anything outside that whether here or at the national level I must challenge.
“Those who think that I’m talking, should give me Justice, let there be equity, let their be fairness, let there be transparency in what we are doing. Not hiding under to intimidate and engaging in name calling, it will not be accepted.
“I am an elected Governor and I must speak on behalf of the people who put me there and nothing more because I am accountable to them and whatever they want is what I will do. With the state Assembly we are working together, the law was a product of the people.
“Today people are passing through the back door to grant immunity to Miyetti Allah, herdsmen and their cattle which is not in the constitution.
“Cows have taken over our bedrooms, our schools, farms and everything. And those who are charged with the responsibility of protecting us have taken sides and to the extent that they have become the mouthpiece of Miyetti Allah and herdsmen, this will not be accepted.
“States have been making law why is our own different, but our law has come to stay. Of course it is not about grazing but it is about taking over our land but this will not be accepted in the 21st century.
“If the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Defense are failing in their duties and the President cannot sack them, we leave ourselves to God who will direct us on what to do.
“I am a member of the APC but I cannot keep quiet when my people are being annihilated I will not accept that because I cannot be Governor over dead people. I’m not a dead man either.
“The responsibility of enforcing the law is that of the federal government. That is why I have joined the voices calling for the restructuring of the country.
“Because we cannot have an IGP who is the mouthpiece of Miyetti Allah. And we cannot have a minister who should be protecting the territorial integrity of this country coming out to say it is foreigners that are responsible for the killings.
“We cannot have a security architecture that is not ready to protect lives and property. That allow herdsmen carry guns and displaying it openly.
“Today herdsmen have also taken over kidnapping in the country from North to South because they have guns and are being protected by the IGP and when you talk they start calling you names.
“I must send a message that Samuel Ortom is not a drowning man. I was a nobody but God lifted me to several important position in life, so I know where I’m coming from, I’m not a drowning man. I dropped out of school in 1979 but I hold a Doctorate Degree today. After passing through several leadership positions in this country today I am a Governor and I’m doing my job.
“Now it is clear that our country must be restructured for the tenets of rule of law to be respected. Any herdsmen that is not comfortable with the grazing law should go to Kano where the Governor has requested that they come.
“Today because of the activities of herdsmen in Benue state over 60,000 of our children can no longer go to school and are residing in seven IDPs camps across the state. They have truncated the education of our children. It very painful.
“To compound the problem the crisis in Cameroon has spilled to Kwande and we have opened two camps where 7,000 persons are being housed, so on the whole we have nine IDPs camps in Benue state.
After the killings of the 73 people the killings are still continuing almost on a daily basis and more people are coming into the IDPs camps.
“Though I read that Mr. President has approved the deployment of the military, I thank the President though I have not been communicated officially but I hope it will help in restoring peace and normally.
“Regrettably his directive to the IGP to relocate to Benue was not obeyed and he also failed to do his job. We are calling for his resignation. Such people cannot work for Mr. President he needs better people to assist him including the Minister of Defence. These are bear footed people who have nothing to offer.
“I commend the National Assembly for rejecting the biased report of the IGP which portrayed him as the mouthpiece of Miyetti.
“I am a member of the APC and about the issue of joining another vehicle, Benue people are here and they are hearing you. I cannot decide for Benue people, the people will decide, it is what they want that I will want. Anything Benue people say I should do, I will do.”