Governor Ortom of Benue State meets Buhari. Says he supports military option on herdsmen not colonies
President Muhammadu Buhari and the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, are currently meeting inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This is the first time the two leaders will meet since the recent killings recorded in the state.
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Ortom reports fresh
killing of 2 policemen in Benue On January 9, 20184:03 pmIn NewsComments
Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue on Tuesday reported fresh killing of two
policemen in Benue to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging prompt action
to stop the carnage and arrest those behind it. He disclosed this to
State House correspondents after he briefed Mr President on the security
situation in the state, since the New Year killing of many people in
the state. Ortom According to the governor, the situation has taken a
different dimension as the militia exchanged fire with mobile policemen
in Logo local government, killing two and leaving another injured. He
said that the other officer declared missing after the incident was
found on Tuesday morning while the state government had taken the
injured to the hospital for treatment. “So, when it gets to the level of
militia killing security men who are armed and are trained to protect
lives and property is it not taking a dangerous dimension? Who is now
safe?’’ the governor asked. The governor reported that the militia men
were encamped in Tungwa, Awe Local Government, from where they planned
and launched their attacks on innocent people. He recalled that he had
earlier briefed the President when the Jan. 1 incident took place. He
explained that after staying back on the ground to do some needful to
restore normalcy, it was important for him to come personally and brief
him. “Already, because of the communication we have been having when
this incident happened, action has been taken as directed by him. “The
movement of the DIG, the movement of the Inspector-General of Police,
now to head to Benue state to ensure that this challenge is surmounted
was at the instance of Mr President. “Of cause additional security
personnel, DSS and Police have been deployed, and even the Army. “We
have additional personnel on ground now and we are adequately and fully
giving them the full logistic support to ensure that people are
protected,’’ the governor added. The governor again accused the
leadership of Myetti Allah cattle breeders as being behind the mayhem
and called for the arrest and prosecution of the group’s leaders. Ortom
acknowledged that President Buhari was carrying out further
investigations into the Benue crisis to know what to do next. “I had to
brief him. He is also doing further investigation to know the next line
of action,’’ he said. He said that since June 2017 he had written to the
security agencies about those who posed threats to the collective
interest of the people requesting that they be dealt with. “They must be
arrested and prosecuted because we cannot allow impunity to continue to
thrive. “And of cause, threat and no action have resulted to this
killing and I think also that Mr President will also do the needful to
ensure that something is done urgently,’’ he said. On the accusation
that the Benue government had hired machinery to fight on behalf of the
state the governor said the allegation was untrue. He also denied
alleging that he was being prevented from seeing Mr President, adding
that besides talking with him on phone he had met him personally to
discuss the situation in Benue. “The truth is that I have access to Mr
President anytime I want to speak with him on phone, and to see him
personally. “I requested that I wanted to speak with him on phone that
day because I couldn’t come to Abuja and he gave me the opportunity; I
did, and today I am here and I have seen him.’’ When asked if he would
approve the deployment of soldiers to the troubled state, the governor
replied in the affirmative. “Anything that can stop the killing of my
people, I will go for it, I will support it. “Any policy or any
directive, anything that will help stop the killing of these innocent
people who are not armed will go because this cannot continue. “You know
that continuity of this will create greater challenges for us and I
don’t want it to continue. “We are struggling with economic issues; we
are struggling with political issues we are struggling with several
other issues in this country, security issues and all that. “Benue state
should not be part of this. There is no need for it “The law of
prohibition of open grazing and establishment of ranching was made out
of the necessity to ensure that we have peace for herdsmen and farmers.
“And that is what we have done. The law seeks to protect all.’’ The
governor also debunked the allegation that farmers killed some 2,000
herdsmen and stole their cattle, saying that the person making the
allegation had yet to substantiate it and other claims he had made.
Ortom stated that he had yet to understand the idea of creating colonies
for cattle breeders to prevent farmers-herdsmen clashes, saying that
the solution to the problem was ranching. “Well I am waiting to be
briefed about what colony means, I don’t understand it and until I know
what it is, but for us the way forward is ranching because it is the
global best practice. “And it is not just practiced in other parts of
the world; on African soil, in Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya,
Mozambique, almost all African countries that rear cattle they ranch.
“So, why can’t we do the same thing here,’’ he added. The governor
stated that he, as a farmer, had a ranch in his farm and “the permits
are available for people who want to ranch their cattle to also assess
land and begin to ranch. “So, it is free for everybody and that is the
right way to go and since we started implementation there has been
relative peace among farmers and herdsmen,’’ he explained. NAN Do the
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