BENUE GOVERNOR, ORTOM ATTACKS PRESIDENCY, SAYS PLOT TO INSTIGATE CRISIS IN BENUE TO DECLARE EMERGENCY FAILED

…Accuses Presidency of failed plot to instigate crisis in Benue to declare  emergency

…Says he‘ll always speak the truth, despite blackmail

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has demanded an apology from the Presidency for accusing him of stirring ethnic tensions and calling for genocide in the country.

According to him, no amount of blackmail and media attack will discourage him from speaking against the injustice and pain the present government has caused Nigerians.

The governor in a statement, yesterday, in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, was responding to a statement by Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, who, while reacting to an interview granted Channels Television by the governor, accused him, among others, of instigating killings in the state and country.

The governor, who alleged a failed plot by the Presidency to cause crisis in Benue and make the state ungovernable in order to declare a state of emergency in the state, said such evil plots would not also dissuade him from speaking the truth about the unsavory happenings in the country.

The governor spoke the minds of most Nigerians on specific areas of failure of the Presidency and its complicity in the heinous crimes committed against citizens by armed Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists. Instead of taking the governor on those points, Shehu went chasing vain and mundane matters in a desperate attempt to malign the governor.

The statement read: “We read the statement released by the Presidency in response to Governor Samuel Ortom’s recent interview on Channels Television in which he raised a number of concerns bordering on the worsening security situation across the country.

“The tone of the said statement shows the quality of Presidency Nigeria currently has. They abandoned the message and went for the messenger.

We demand an apology from the Presidency for accusing Governor Ortom of stirring ethnic tensions and calling for genocide. The Presidency has never hidden its hatred for the governor and its latest outing only confirms that fact.

“We are aware of the Presidency’s plot to cause crisis in Benue and make the state ungovernable and declare a state of emergency. Whenever each of their plans fails as it happened with the impeachment attempt on the governor before the 2019 elections, they resort to cheap blackmail.

“They accuse Governor Ortom of making a law to chase Fulanis out of Benue, a claim that lacks substance and only goes to prove that they have not read the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of the state. They can’t justify their narrative that Governor Ortom hates Fulanis when some of his appointees are Fulanis.

The Presidency must realise that no amount of blackmail and media attack can discourage the governor from speaking against the injustice and pain the present government has caused Nigerians. No amount of sponsored smear campaigns against the governor can force him to repeal the law on open grazing of cattle in Benue State.

“We advise the Presidency to focus on ending the killing of innocent Nigerians, fix the economy as it promised and stop the stinking corruption under their watch.

“They can’t run away from their responsibility. They were brought to power to serve the country not to oppress the people and suppress their freedom of speech.

They are on record to have publicly promised during their campaigns before the 2015 elections that they would respect the rights and freedoms of Nigerians if elected. Sadly, what the people of this country have got from the current government is the opposite of that promise.

“Governor Ortom stands by his words that this is not the first time a Fulani man is President of Nigeria, and also that it is the first time the country has been divided on ethnic lines with lopsided appointments in promotion and celebration of nepotism, marginalization and open repugnance of other Nigerians.

‘’At no time in the history of this country have impunity, blatant disregard for laws, sectarian as well as ethnic differences been fueled by the government as we now see.

The agenda of the present administration is to Islamize and Fulanize the nation like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Professor Kunle Olawunmi and other patriotic Nigerians have rightly said.

“Governor Ortom urges the good people of this country to call the Presidency to order before it destroys.

‘’ Nigeria. If nothing is done fast to avert the impending disaster, armed herders, bandits and other terrorists will one day take over Aso Rock Villa and those occupying the Villa at the moment will willingly surrender to them and flee from the country.

“No day passes without reports of herdsmen and other terrorists killing defenseless Nigerians in parts of the country. The number of displaced people has risen to millions, yet, the Presidency wants everyone to remain silent while the country burns.

Governor Samuel Ortom will not keep mute! Let it be on record that while the Presidency deliberately destroyed Nigeria, someone spoke against the evil.

‘’The governor believes in the words of Dr Martin Luther King jnr that says: “If peace means accepting second class citizenship, I dont want it. If peace means keeping my mouth shut in the midst of injustice and evil,

‘’I don’t want it. If peace means beiGovernor Samuel Ortom will not keep mute! Let it be on record that while the Presidency deliberately destroyed Nigeria, someone spoke against the evil.

‘’