Ortom Gives Buhari Condition For Support In 2019

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has declared to give his full support, alongside people of the state to President Muhammadu Buhari re-election.

He, however said his support will be given only if the president’s policies and interests align with the desires of the people in the state.

Ortom, who also addressed widespread rumour of his plan to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) to another political party, made the declaration yesterday during a dialogue with journalists at the Government House, Makurdi, to mark the democracy day.

“Benue will vote for President Buhari if his policies and interests are in line with the yearnings and wishes of the people, and let me tell you the issue of herdsmen killings predates the present administration it started before we came in,” Ortom said.

“There are reasonable Fulani herdsmen that have come out to adopt the ranching which we have promulgated since last year as the last resort to solve this problem. For us, we have identified Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore has been responsible for the ongoing killing in the state. Even the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN have agreed with us that ranching is the best way to go”.

He further added that the carriers of the rumour towards of him dumping APC are just people aimed at blackmailing him in order to push him out from the party.

“I am in APC; let it be clear to the doubting Thomases that I am still in APC. I could have issues but that does not deny me of being a member of the party.

“Those who initiated that rumour are people who are out to blackmail me and to push me away. I am not going anywhere I will remain here, they should wait for their time but for me, I am still here and if there is any course for me to defect, I will make it public”.

On the same note, Ortom said the greatest challenges that confronted his administration in the last three years was the threat to security caused by the invasion of the land and killing of hundreds of people by armed Fulani herdsmen, confirming that at least 198 of them ( herdsmen) were facing trial for the violation of the anti-grazing law.

Meanwhile, he presented a catalogue of his administration’s scorecard in the last three years, as he said “There are 180, 000 Internally Displaced Persons in eight camps covering Guma, Logo, and Makurdi local government areas, 500, 000 others living with relatives or in uncompleted buildings, 80, 000 displaced children with 2, 442 pregnant and 2, 766 nursing mothers”.