Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, recently spoke with journalists at Government House, Markudi, where he expressed worry about the level of insecurity in the country, and the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to act fast. Excerpts.
Time to act is now
This country belongs to all of us and the presidency must act fast because time is going. From the North West, North East, North Central, South West, South East and South South, there is general insecurity and this is being propelled by herdsmen.
Miyetti Allah
I have made a petition to the presidency and to all security agencies before that if they want peace, Miyetti Allah must be arrested. These are people who have taken responsibility that they have killed, maimed, raped and committed all sorts of atrocities and yet their leadership is in Abuja and nobody is confronting them.
When I talk I am being castigated, there was nothing bad that was not said against me but the reality is it is not just happening in Benue State today, it is happening in the entire country.
Why is the federal government being silent about these Fulani men? When will the federal government come out and criticize and arrest herdsmen carrying AK-47? Are we second citizens in this country? What is given to a Fulani man should be given to every other person; a Benue man is not a slave to any Fulani man in this country and so the federal government must do this.
Carrying of AK-47 riffle
At a point in time, the federal government came out with a policy through the police that even those with licensed guns, double barrels and pop action should surrender to the police, how many times has the presidency come out to condemn the Fulani men for carrying AK-47 all over the place? This is not correct.
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Justice and fairness
We stand for justice, equity and fairness. Whatever is happening to a Fulani man should also happen to every other person. That is why I called for the federal government to license me and many others to have guns too, because if I have my AK-47 and a Fulani man is aware, let him come so we can fight each other but they cannot disarm me and arm a Fulani man, this is the point.
This is not right. The federal government is biased and unfair, the failure in security is caused by the federal government and what I perceive is that the president is not aware of this because if he was aware, he would stop it.
President and his aides
I know President Muhammadu Buhari as someone who is disciplined, but the people around him are mediocres and are not willing to let him know the pains that Nigerians are going through. Mr president, in case you are listening to me, I want you to recall that you promised Nigerians that you will be fair to all.
You said you will be for everybody and for nobody and now it will appear that you are just for Fulani people because nothing is coming from you to give the people confidence that you are their president.
You are the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not the president of the Fulani people and I owe you a duty as a stakeholder in this nation to let you know that what is going on is wrong and this has the potential to divide the country which will not be in the interest of anyone. Some of us believe in the unity of this country. We believe in leadership, and that every leader comes from God but we have the responsibility to advise you when things are going wrong.
It is not everything that I know as governor but I depend on lieutenants, so you must depend on us the whole country. Those who are silent are doing that as mediocres, they are not willing to tell you the truth. The bible says you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.
Mr President if anybody is deceiving you that all is well, it is not well with us here in Benue state, and from what I can hear from other states it is not well with Nigeria today, you must act fast before it is late.
