I am ready to die for Benue- Ortom

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has vowed to make any sacrifice for his people no matter the consequence, even if it means endangering his life.

Ortom also challenged those accusing him of using the attacks on Benue culminating to the death of over 70 people and destruction of property worth billions naira to attract sympathy for the 2019 general elections to prevail on the relevant authorities to arrest perpetrators of the genocide against Benue citizens.

The Governor who Stated this Monday during an emergency Benue State stakeholders meeting at the Benue Peoples House Makurdi said he was scared of 2019 and other threats by people who are bent on distracting attention on the killings in the State.

He noted that unlike previous attacks on the State, the present actions of herdsmen are attempts to take over Benue as Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore have openly claimed ownership of Benue valley and vowed to resist the open grazing prohibition law while there are tales that Benue prevented the Islamization of Southern Nigeria, thus all efforts are put together to realize that objective now.

Ortom reiterated that he had reported threats by Miyetti Allah to halt the implementation of the anti open grazing law to the Federal Government but no proactive steps were taken until the group’s threats were executed starting on first January and up till now no culprit have been arrested despite repeated calls.

He disclosed that on the boundary between Nasarawa and Benue States via Guma Local Government, the herders have encroached on Benue land where they now settle and there are similar moves in Agatu and appealed for more deployment of more security operatives, saying the preesent security personnel is grossly inadequate to contain the issue at hand.

The Governor urged Benue people to continue to be law abiding but vigilante as government was doing its best to restore normalcy, saying the outright provocations are strategies to elicit retaliation from the people to pave way for the realization of the plans of the enemies to overwhelm the state urged states in southern part of Nigeria to always enact the open grazing law prohibition law and embrace ranching as the best practice of animals husbandry.

In their various submissions, former Nigerian Ambassador to Cannada, Iorwuese Hagher, Former Member of the Senate, Fred Orti and former Minister of State for Education, Jerry Agada decried the inability of the Federal Government to defend Benue people and advocated the establishment of State Police while calling on the people to be united and not remain quiet in the ongoing genocide which is capable of spilling to other parts of the country.

Members of House of Representatives from Benue who spoke through John Dyegh suggested reporting the genocide to wipe out Benue people and Middle Belt to the International Court of Justice hence the Federal Government is not ready to defend them and urged leaders from the Zone to exit Northern based organisations and revive the defunct Middle Belt Forum, adding that they were tired of the use and dumped alliance with the northern oligarchs.

Similarly, Richard Ujege on behalf of the Tiv, Idoma and Igede opted for restructuring as the lasting solution to the security quagmire in Nigeria and gave Governor Ortom two Weeks ultimatum to quit Northern Governors Forum while Traditional Rulers were also urged to pull out of Northern Traditional Rulers Council describing the recent visit of 7 APC/ Northern Governors to Benue as a mockery.