‘Presidency finding pleasure in the unfortunate security situation of Nigeria,’ Benue Governor, Ortom alleges

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has expressed dismay over the failure and disinterest shown by the Federal Government over handling of the bandits causing security breaches across the country.

Ortom in an interview, Tuesday, wondered why the Federal Government is able to tackle the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South East yet unwilling to face or ban the influx of bandits coming into the country from Mali and Niger.

The Benue governor, who alleged that some of the armed Fulani herders unleashing terror on unsuspecting residents of the State and other parts of Nigeria are from Mali and Niger Republic, accused the Presidency of ‘finding pleasure in the unfortunate security situation of the country.’

According to Ortom, most of the Fulani herders arrested in Benue State ‘cannot speak Hausa or Fulfide’, as they are from French speaking countries, ‘yet these armed Fulani men are more dangerous than the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration proscribed and tagged as a terrorist group.’

“My point is why is it that these Fulanis that are coming here can’t be stopped? They are not even Nigerians, yet there are Nigerians Fulanis. They are coming from Mali and Niger and they are not hiding it. They say it.

“Most of them that are arrested here speak French, they cannot speak Hausa or Fulfide and so it is a matter of the government deciding that ‘look, we must stop this.’

“But it is clear to me now and that is why I said that the body language of the current presidency is that they are happy with what is happening. They stopped IPOB in the Southeast, and branded them terrorists.

“If I were to evaluate what was happening in the Southeast and the Southwest, what the Fulanis are doing here is worse. The weapons they have are more than what they have in the southeast and southwest. I don’t support all those secessionist agitations by those individuals. I don’t support it, but the truth is that we should ensure equity and fairness.

“We should ensure justice for all. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. So why are we separating other people as if they are slaves? And then you bring Fulani from outside to come and terrorize your country and you allow them? The president himself accepted that these ones that are terrorizing us are not Nigerians.

“So why are you allowing them? Why have they refused to brand them as terrorists? Why have they refused to ban them? Why have they encouraged Miyetti Allah to be killing our people?”

On money from the Federal Government meant to clear backlogs of arrears and pensions of the state’s civil servants, Ortom disclosed that while other states of the federation received a sizeable amount, Benue got little, even as he revealed that he was told to defect to the ruling party in order to increase his share.

He further disclosed that the N28 billion received from the Federal Government was not enough to cater to the accumulated shortfalls of N70 billion by his administration and the previous ones compared to the amount given to other states government.

“I have been intimidated, I have been vilified, blackmailed and several other things. I mean well for our country Nigeria. I believe in Nigeria and that is why you see me carrying the colours of Nigeria and the colours of major ethnic nationalities in Benue State; the Tiv, Idoma, Egede and then the Nigerian flag. So I believe in Nigeria. United we stand and divided we fall. Our strength is in our unity in diversity. And I believe that our people should work together.

“The federal government has refused to help me in terms of ensuring that we clear the arrears of pension and gratuity which I inherited. It wasn’t my fault. Aper Aku had arrears of salaries and gratuity, Akume had, Adasu had, Suswam had and I also have. I also inherited it; N70billion arrears of pensions, salaries and gratuity. It is not a new thing.

“The federal government gave me N28 billion and I appropriated it and unfortunately, it was not enough. Other people have been given more, but the federal government, because of my stance in saying the truth, they have refused to give me support.

“People came to me and say if you move to APC, we will support you and I said I cannot sell my people out like others are doing today, I can’t sell my people, I remain committed with the people. They elected me, their pain should be my pains and for whatever reasons with the number of people we have here, if you send them away from their ancestral land and take over, where do you want them to go?

“I am not against any Fulani man but I am against impunity and lawlessness. Here in Benue State, people are free but when you want to impose religion on us, we say no. I can’t allow Christianity to be imposed on Muslims and I don’t want Islam to be imposed on Christians or pagans. Here, everybody is free.”