The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, applauded the Buhari administration for heeding his appeal and finally declaring bandits terrorists. But the Governor ofcthe North-Central Nigeria state said the president must be bold enough to move a step further to also label some well known violent Fulani groups as terrorists.
The governor was reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s interview on Channels TV.
Ortom said the step taken by the federal government would go a long way in containing the atrocities of the criminals and give innocent citizens the opportunity to go about their legitimate businesses unmolested.
According to the governor, “Even though the federal government’s measures on bandits now seem strong, the security challenges will only be adequately addressed if similar hard position is taken on Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, MACBAN and the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM), who have vowed and continued to cause mayhem in Benue State and other parts of the country, because of the anti-grazing laws.
“For us in Benue State, the law has come to stay. It is irrevocable. In fact, we have maintained our position that Benue State has no grazing routes, reserves or areas whatsoever. It was enacted in good faith for peace and order in the state. It was done, among other things, to end the incessant farmers/herdsmen clashes in the state.”
Ortom also tasked the president to do everything necessary to revamp the ailing economy and save the citizens from poverty. He said, “Nigerians have absorbed enough hunger and misery in the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC) misrule. Or is it possible that Mr. President is not aware that Nigerians are dying from his misrule?”
The governor dismissed the president’s classification of PDP as a failure, insisting, “As a critical stakeholder of the PDP, this is completely false. If anyone has failed, it is the Buhari-led APC federal government that has failed by taking Nigeria from top to bottom.
“The PDP is ready to rescue Nigeria from the insecurity and economic horror placed on Nigerians by the APC.”
Ortom stressed that the party was better prepared with laudable programmes on the welfare of Nigerians and to rebuild the country from the APC tale of woes.
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