Gov. Ortom to Buhari: Call Herdsmen to Order.

The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has blasted President Muhammadu Buhari over his failure to call Fulani herdsmen to order.
The Governor stated this at a press conference in Makurdi yesterday. He noted that the Fulani herdsmen were terrorizing Nigeria and urged Buhari to act fast because no Nigerian is a second class citizen or slave to the Fulani people.

Ortom noted that Buhari is Nigeria’s President and not the Fulani tribe where he hails from. According to him, the President had in 2015 pledged to be the President of everybody and nobody; therefore, he should serve all Nigerians’ interest.

The Governor further criticized the Presidency, who called for the arrest of a prominent Yoruba human rights activist, Sunday Igboho, for issuing quit notice to herdsmen condemned for abductions, rape, and destruction of farms in the Ibarapa area of Oyo state.

He stated that while the herdsmen killed and distorted public peace, the Presidency was speechless but was quick to react and order to arrest persons who resisted the killer herds men’s criminal activities.
According to him, “When I talk, I was being criticized, I was being vilified, nothing wrong that was not said against me, I am this and that, but the reality is here, and it is not just happening in Benue State today, it is happening in the entire country.

“Why is the Federal Government silent about these Fulani herdsmen? When will Federal Government come out and criticize and arrest herdsmen carrying AK-47? When are they going to do that? Are we second (-class) citizens in this country? Why (is) the Fulani men superior to a Tiv man? I am not their slave. A Benue man is not a slave to any Fulani man in this country.

“We stand for justice, equity and fairness. Whatever is happening to a Fulani man should also occur to a Tiv man. That was why I called the Federal Government to license me and many others to have guns and have AK-47. Because if I have my AK-47 and a Fulani man is coming there, he knows that I have and he has, then we can fight each other.

“But you can’t disarm me and arm a Fulani man. This is not right, the Federal Government is biased itis unfair. The failure in security is caused by the Federal Government.”
“Mr. President, in case you are listening to me, I want you to know that your people, Nigerians, you promised Nigerians that you would be fair to all. You said that you would be for everybody and nobody, and now it will appear that you are 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, you are not the President of Fulani. You are the President of everybody 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 of dividing this country which will not be in the interest of anyone –some of us believe in the unity of this country.”

Continuing, the Governor said, “Mr President, if some people are deceiving you that all is well, it is not well with us in Benue State and what I can hear from other states, it is not well with Nigeria today, you must act fast before it is late.”