From Rose Ejembi Makurdi
Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom, has lashed his Bauchi counterpart, Bala Mohammed, accusing him of being part of the conspiracy by foreign terrorist Fulani that are terrorising the country.
Ortom who stated this in Makurdi during an interactive session with newsmen asked Governor Mohammed to come out and publicly apologise to all Nigerians over his statements in recent times which he said had rather given the impression that he was part of those sponsoring foreign Fulani terrorists against the country.
“Since he has continued to vilify me, I am compelled to respond to him. I’m begining to feel that my brother, the Governor of Bauchi State is part of the terrorist Fulani organisation that has been terrorising this country.
“This is the same governor who took oath of office to protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not give room for allowing foreign herdsmen or foreign Tiv people or Fulani people or Yoruba people to come in without valid papers. This is the man who said that the Fulani man is a global man and so he can come in from anywhere and enter Nigeria. It is quite disappointing to hear a governor who took oath office to protect the constitution of Nigeria say this. May be he should go back and rehearse the oath of office he took whether allowing any foreign terrorist Fulani Herdsmen into Nigeria is right.”
Ortom described as condemnable, Bauchi counterpart justifying why Fulani Herdsmen carry AK47 to defend themselves.
“And of course, his outburst recently that Fulani herdsmen are justified by carrying AK47 to protect themselves, I don’t know where the constitution of this country allows any man or woman who is not licensed by security agencies to carry even dane guns. Even dane guns are licensed, how much more weapons like AK47, AK49 and several other sophisticated weapons. Let him go back and read the Land Use Act again. The land use act permits governors to have a sole authority over land. In Benue State for instance, if Federal Government comes here to execute a project, they ask for land from me and until I grant the certificate of occupancy, they cannot, whether in the forest or any part of the land.
“Bala should go back and read the land use act because as governor in your state, you hold the land on behalf of the people. His so-called response to try to run away from the fact implicated him more.
“He should just come out and apologise to Nigerians. It will be consoling because we all make mistakes. And if he apologises, it will be appreciated, but to continue to argue will inflict more pain, especially on some of us that are the victims. We are thinking that he is part of the conspiracy to wipe some people away including Benue State indigenes.”
When contacted last night, Governor Mohammed declined immediate comment. But he assured that he would issue detailed reply to Ortom in due course.
