Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has said that he had never had any misunderstanding with President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies at the height of the herdsmen/farmers clashes and resultant death of many.
He stressed: “I am APC Governor and the President is APC. We have always been meeting and I have said very positive things about the President before and I have not retracted what I said.
Governor Ortom who spoke to news men shortly after an audience with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, Tuesday, said: “the fact is that I have a challenge at hand and needed to stay with my people to be able to surmount this because they are the people that elected me.
“And Benue people first before any other thing. I have not had any strained relationship with the federal government. I had no strained relationship with security agencies, not even with security agencies and that was the point I was making.
“But all I was saying is trying to add value to the security of the nation by bringing my suggestions as a former local government chairman, former minister and now current serving governor.
“I think I have something to add to the security architecture of this country that can add value and help us to do better than we are doing. There is always room for improvement in any setting or organization by buying from one person to the other because nobody has monopoly of knowledge.
“We must synergize; we must corporate with one another and so, when you neglect this, and you have tragedy like the one you have in Benue State, it is not good enough. And people must be willing to accept pieces of advice, especially superior opinions that can help shape and add value to the development of our system.”
He said that he was in the Villa to thank President Buhari for the condolence visitor to Benue State after the killings and to also intimate him of where the situation is now.
“I am here to also remind him about the request of Bernie people when he paid that visit and to assure him that Benue remains committed for united Nigeria and to work with him in ensuring that we collaborate with the Federal Government to provide security for lives and property in Nigeria.”
Governor Ortom said that he also intimated the President about the plight of over 175,000 IDPs that are in eight camps, adding that such IDPs have expressed their desire to go back home.
“And Mr. President is very passionate about their plight and has assured me that government will swing into action to ensure that rehabilitation is done to those homes that were displaced.
“If they go back home, where would they go and live when their houses were destroyed? That assurance has been given and he will also look at the other issues that we brought before him.
“It is quite assuring that it will be well and I want to thank the President for the support he has shown. I know that this crisis did not just start during his tenure; it precedes this government. “When I was serving as minister, my ancestral home was destroyed, 53 people were killed and this was in 2013 when Mr. President was not yet here. But I think that what is important is the NEC sun-committee headed by the Vice President which is doing the needful.”
“I believe that the meeting we held and the subsequent ones that we are going to hold will definitely proffer a solution to this perennial problem and we sought it out ones and for all. But we remain committed to our people and our ranching law and I believe that that is the way forward.” [myad]
