From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue State Government has described as shocking claims by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed that Governor Samuel Ortom was responsible for the negative perception of Fulani by other Nigerians.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Samuel Ortom on Animal Husbandry, Alhaji Shehu Tambaya, stated this in a chat with Daily Sun on Sunday.
Tambaya, who described as unfortunate, Governor Mohammed’s statement about Governor Ortom, insisting that people from all works of life live do business in all parts of Benue without any problem.
He maintained that although he would not want to join issues with Governor Mohammed, Governor Ortom has proven to be a lover of all Nigerians irrespective of political, ethnic or religious inclination.
‘Governor Mohammed is only trying to defend what is undefendable because Nigerians can attest to the fact that my principal loved everyone in this country,’ he said.
Noting that the country is passing through a very dark period of insecurity, Tambaya stressed that Nigerian leaders must be wary of making statements that could suggest that they are in support of people whose actions are capable of plunging the country into chaos and anarchy.
He thanked the Northern Governors’ Forum for finally adopting the ban on open grazing which he noted, was the brainchild of Governor Ortom.
He called on Mohammed to apologise to Governor Ortom and Nigerians in general for saying that Fulani herdsmen move about with AK-47 to defend themselves.
