Governor Samuel Ortom, last week sat down for an
interview where he responded to issues bordering on the call for the
declaration of state of emergency in the state, the security situation in the
state and his relationship with herdsmen.
Excerpts: What is your reaction to
the call by Governor Wike for the declaration of State of Emergency in Benue State?
Governor Samuel Ortom,
It is laughable and unfortunate because if you talk
about declaring state of emergency because of killings I am aware that there
are more killings in Rivers than Benue State.
Here we know the rules while in Rivers State there is
no rule of law. When you do things as if there is no leadership, you take laws
into your hands, we don’t do that here and I will not subscribe to taking laws
into my hands or anybody taking laws into his hands in Benue State. One thing I
know is that we are on top of the situation we have found ourselves in.
The issue of herdsmen we have brought it under control.
The issue of criminality we have brought it under control. I inherited a state
that was ravaged by criminality, killings, terror, assassinations and
kidnappings.
When last did you hear that somebody was kidnapped in
Benue State? When last did you hear armed robbery took place in Benue State? If
you talk about rivalry between herdsmen and farmers it is not just peculiar to
Benue State. We have sent a bill to the State House of Assembly.
We are proposing that ranching is the option, no need
for open grazing which even the herdsmen themselves confirmed. State of
emergency And if you talk about the criminality of Gana who has been killing
people all over, we have declared him wanted and we have even placed a reward
on him. He has gone into hiding and we are appealing to people to avail us
information.
We are ready to take on him. I am in touch with the
Inspector General of Police, I am in touch with the Chief of Army Staff, the
Commandant of Civil Defence, the DSS Director General and security men have
been provided for Benue State. We are going to have him. We are on top of our
situation. If Wike wants state of emergency he should first of all declare his
own state of emergency in Rivers State, not in Benue State.
Benue State people are with me. We are proactive and we
are on top of the situation here in Benue State and I can assure you with this
renewed spate of attacks not from herdsmen, but from Gana who is killing people
and because he is being sponsored by some people, we are going after him. I
pray that what is happening around me here should not happen in any other
state. I pray for Wike.
I pray that God will help him succeed as a leader. But
leaders should not come out to make such statements. I have inherited a state
that is difficult and everyone knows. The whole country knows. I have inherited
a state that is in deficit of over a hundred billion naira. Where do you start
and we have been doing our best here. Since I came no one has gone on strike
because the people appreciate what efforts we are doing here in Benue State. So
it is an unfortunate thing but I will not join issues with him, I pray for him
that God should help him in his endeavours.
Have you had issues with Governor Wike before now? I
took it that it was political. He said it because I was on the delegation that
was nominated by my party to solicit the support of the people in Rivers to win
election. Is that a crime? Have I committed a crime by going to support my
party men to win election? I wasn’t the only one that went there. You can
imagine a colleague lost a commissioner in Plateau State while he was jogging
and you can imagine the sarcastic statement he has made about that.
It is not fair. We shouldn’t as leaders begin to make
such statements. It doesn’t give us anything good. But I leave Wike to his
conscience. During the last administration during the height of Fulani attacks
in the state, the then president sent in soldiers, do we see same happening
now? Soldiers are already deployed here, I told you that I’m in touch with the
Chief of Army Staff and on the directive of Mr. President we will have as many
as we need depending on the situation on ground. Mr. President has directed
that I should be supported and we have enough policemen here on ground, we have
equipment, a chopper has been deployed here to support us.
So I don’t think anything is out of place. We are on
top of the situation and the killings we witnessed before are far more than
what we are seeing today because of the proactive steps we have been taking to
check the situation. What is your response to allegations of the soldiers
taking sides? I am not aware of that. The soldiers are not taking sides as far
as I am concerned. The soldiers I have here in Benue State as far as I know are
very patriotic and they are civil.
They have accepted the fact that we have a civilian
government in place. Government is proactive and ready, we have enough
personnel, and equipment to track these people. And where we are not able to
track them we are even ready to pay for damages. Recently the case of a
herdsman whose 57 cattle were killed and 50 rustled, was reported to me and
paid N10million and even up till today we have not apprehended the youths behind
the attack, but if we see them we will arrest them. But we had to pay just to
allow peace to reign because if they come for reprisals those youths who did
the evil will not be there. Instructions of government Those that would suffer
will be vulnerable children, women and the elderly. So it’s a matter of simply
listening to the instructions of government. When you have leaders and you
respect and follow them things will work out.
There is no way we will allow lawlessness to prevail in
the land because people there will bear the consequences. Are you not disturbed
sir, that with the level of killings by herdsmen none of them has been
prosecuted? Well, I’m aware that we arrested some herdsmen with arms and they
are being prosecuted. I can talk about my own state. But it is something we can
all tackle together, the journalists, the people themselves all of us including
the security agencies because most times journalists know where these criminals
are but you will not volunteer information.
You said some persons are sponsoring Gana the wanted
militant leader, who are his sponsors and their names? No, it’s not every
security matter that you say or discuss in public, I won’t say that for now but
I have it in my chest.
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