Ortom: If Buhari had listened to me, instead of overzealous aides, security would have improved

The outgoing Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has again spoken on the security situation in the country, contending that if President Muhammadu Buhari had listened to him, the situation would have improved.

He also opened up on his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ortom made his stance known on Wednesday during an interview on AriseTV, Morning Show.

He said, “I have never insulted President Muhammadu Buhari; all I do is constructive criticism and if he had listened, the security situation would have improved and was branded by overzealous people around him. I was the first person to congratulate him when he became President — I don’t hate Buhari.”

Over the past four years, Ortom has been critical of Buhari’s administration due to the spiraling insecurity across the country, particularly in Benue State, which has witnessed many lost lives due to clashes between farmers and herders.

Speaking on the situation, the governor said, “The herders situation is a challenge but I have never allowed residents to acquire arms since it can cause anarchy. If there is anarchy, nobody will be saved.

Read Also: Ortom urges federal lawmakers to be vigilant, reject grazing reserve bill

“But these killings are going on in Katsina, Plateau and Zamfara and we need to work together, the politicians and the leaders”.

Ortom had criticised the presidency for blaming his administration for the killings in the state, adding that the attempts by the president to blame his government for the situation was “futile attempts to twist events and history”.
The governor, who backed his words with the Christian Holy Book, added that he has forgiven the President.

He said: “When you don’t forgive, it means God too will not forgive. Me, as a student of the Bible and as a born-again Christian, I have forgiven President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Ortom, who expressed optimism for better performance from the administration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in the state and the nation at large, added: “We hope that the incoming administration will provide support, help, security, economic development, and peace for our people.

“We have suffered for eight years.”

Governor Ortom, however, counseled President Buhari not to leave Nigeria but stay back to work with the administration of Tinubu to elevate the state and nation from “bottom to top”

“He doesn’t need to go to the Niger Republic. He should stay here (in Nigeria) with us. All of us should work with the incoming administration and by the grace of God, we shall go from bottom to top,” he added.

 

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