Ortom To Buhari: I Bear No Personal  Grudge Against You Over Benue Killings
…Insists, I expect the President to be the leader of every Nigerian

Benue State Governor , Samuel Ortom, on Friday, said he bears no personal grudge against President Muhammadu Buhari despite his recent comments passed on  the Federal Government after Fulani Herdsmen attacked an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at Abagana in Makurdi, killing seven persons and leaving several others injured.

Ortom said he is only being patriotic by calling for justice, equity, fairness and above all, the rule of law,  adding  that it was  expected of Buhari,  as the President, to be the leader of every Nigerian and treat all as his people.

He noted that  he had on several occasions raised the alarm against activities of the rampaging herdsmen whose sole aim is to take over the ancestral lands of Benue people and other Nigerians, adding that  he had written letters to the Federal Government and made other spirited efforts to have the government at the centre take preventive measures against further attacks on Benue communities.

He said the Federal Government had repeatedly ignored such patriotic calls, insisting rather that cattle routes of the 1950s be re-opened to grant easy passage to the pastoralists and their animals.

The Governor who was reacting to media reports credited to the senior special assistant to President Buhari on Media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in which he said President Muhammadu Buhari had expressed “his disappointment and sadness to hear Samuel Ortom, the Governor of Benue State make a litany of accusations against his person and his government following the recent unfortunate incidents in the state”.

Orom maintained that the posture of the Federal Government has made many Nigerians to conclude that it is complicit and its inaction has emboldened the armed herdsmen to cause greater havoc across the country.

Speaking  through his chief  press, Terver Akase, in a statement  titled: ” Garba Shehu and Gov Ortom Patriotic Calls”, Ortom emphasised that the President is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, while the job of a Governor is to support security agencies to perform their duties, which the governor has done efficiently to the admiration of many Nigerians.

Part of the statement read: “We read the statement signed by Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity, mallam Garba Shehu in which he said President Muhammadu Buhari had expressed “his disappointment and sadness to hear Samuel Ortom, the Governor of Benue State make a litany of accusations against his person and his government following the recent unfortunate incidents in the state”. Shehu was referring to Governor Ortom’s clarion call on the President to act decisively and in an unbiased manner to end the spate of killings by Fulani herdsmen in Benue and other parts of the country.

“We are convinced that Mr President was not aware that his aide Shehu made such a statement on his behalf. It is clear that the media aide didn’t speak for the President in the said statement. President Buhari wouldn’t have given approval for such a reckless and insensitive press release.

When President Buhari gave a shoot on sight order to security agencies against persons bearing AK47, Governor Ortom was one of the first to support the presidential directive. Minister of Defence came out a few weeks later to counter the President’s order and we expected a reaction from the Presidency but till this minute, no such reaction has been heard.

“What Garba Shehu ought to know is that Governor Ortom has no personal grudge against the President. The Governor is only being patriotic by calling for justice, equity, fairness and above all the rule of law. I expects the President to be the leader of every Nigerian and treat all as his people”.