Says Sen Akume turned his back on Benue people

By Peter Duru – Makurdi

A group, the League of Unique Friends Association, LUFA, has reiterated that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has not engaged in stirring hatred or crisis in the country but seeking justice, equity, and fairness for all as well as an end to the lingering herdsmen attacks that have created over 1.5million IDPs in his state.

Spokesman of LUFA, Dr Frank Kyungun, in a press conference by the group, Thursday in Makurdi was reacting to the recent media outing of Presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu who while reacting to an interview granted to Channels Television by the Governor, accused him among others of stirring hatred and instigating killings in the state and country.

But Dr Kyungun insisted that it was not lost on anyone that the Benue State Governor was speaking for millions of voiceless Nigerians who had continued to bear the brunt of economic hardship, banditry, insurgency, kidnappings, and other violent crimes due to the failure of Federal Government.

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He said, “Governor Ortom has never and will never stir up hatred against any ethnic nationality. The Governor is simply drawing attention to the heinous attacks and killings of his people by armed Fulani herdsmen in their ancestral lands while the government at the centre appears complicit, incapable or unwilling to protect them.

“It is against the backdrop of all the evils, wicked machinations, injustices, and impunities of the Federal Government as shown in the lopsided appointments into key offices in favour of the President’s ethnic and religious group, among many others that Governor Ortom, like many other well-meaning Nigerians and opinion leaders are complaining about.

“Again, Governor Ortom does not hate the Fulani as a tribe. He is only against armed Fulani militia on a mission to take over the land of his people. In fact, he has many Fulani friends and has also appointed some of them into key positions in his government in the spirit of unity and social inclusiveness, which is totally lacking at the Central government.

“We call on Garba Shehu to address the germane issues raised by Governor Ortom, which are insecurity, heinous attacks and killings by armed Fulani herdsmen in Benue State, nepotism and lopsided appointments by his principal as well as lack of demonstration of political will to go after armed Fulani herdsmen as well as arrest and prosecute their sponsors.

“Again, he should know that Benue people have unwavering faith in Governor Ortom as their dependable choice by electing him as their Governor in 2015 and again in 2019 irrespective of political platform. This underscores the fact that the name Samuel Ortom is a political brand to reckon with in Benue state and indeed, the North Central geo-political zone as well as entire Nigeria.

“The Presidential spokesman, therefore, lacks the basic understanding of the political culture of the Benue people by nursing false hope that they would make a better choice in the next elections. Ortom’s career has been illustrious and outstanding.

“While also condemning the recent media outing by the Minister for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume who alleged that Benue people had a stockpile of weapons and were killing each other while Governor Ortom was diverting public funds, Dr Kyungun said the allegations were unfortunate.

He said, “It is regrettable that for political interests, the Minister appears to have turned his back on his own people by alleging that the Benue people are the ones attacking and killing themselves when it is abundantly clear to all that the sustained attacks on Benue communities are orchestrated by armed Fulani militia who have never hidden their mission of taking over the Benue ancestral lands.

“It is curious that Akume’s call for state of emergency in Benue shocking – Ortom, amongst others where banditry, insurgency, and other violent crimes such as kidnapping for ransom have unfortunately assumed a frightening dimension.

“We urge him to play the role of an elder and leader whose major focus should be on how to leverage on his status as a federal minister and join hands with the state government to put an end to insecurity in Benue State and pave the way for the rebuilding of destroyed homes in rural communities and safe return of millions of Benue IDPs back to their ancestral land.”

Vanguard News Nigeria