From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
In this interview with newsmen shortly after his return from a two weeks leave, Governor Samuel Ortom spoke on the allegation that he operates a snake farm in the state as well as his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in the United Kingdom.
The social media was recently awash with allegations that you have a snake farm in Makurdi the state capital, what is the true story?
It is unfortunate that the oppositions are the ones peddling these stories because they do not have anything against my administration. Let me clarify an issue here. There is no crime in people going into farming because it is one of the ventures that the constitution of Nigeria allows even those of us who hold public office to go into. It is not an offense and as far as I’m concerned there is nothing restricting the kind of farming you can do. So nobody is restricted to do whether snake farming or any other kind of farming. But to tell lies against your governor is an issue.
Firstly I don’t operate a snake farm. I’m aware that the venom of snakes is also ingredients for anti snake venom. People do this and make money. But associating me with snake farm just to castigate and cast aspersions against me is targeted at portraying me in bad light. Those containers of snakes and reptiles that were imported and seized in Calabar were not even destined for Benue State. So how do you associate that with Ortom and Benue State because you want to tarnish my image? So the opposition should be talking about issues so that together we can build the state. They can be there tomorrow if God permits, but I know that God will not permit that. So they are wasting their time with such lies.
You were among the governors who recently visited President Muhammadu Buhari in London; we have been hearing stories about his health condition, what is his true state of health at the time of your visit?
You will recall that Benue was among the first states that initiated prayers for the quick recovery of the President and the truth is that the prayers of Nigerians have actually been answered by God. You know that if your president is sick, it is the whole country that is sick. So we must pray for our leaders without ceasing. Remember the Bible say we should always pray for our leaders, not only when they are sick. Today God has proved skeptics and enemies of our country wrong. I feel so sad about some of the things people were saying about the health of our President, May God forgive all those who are saying all sorts of things about our President. Is this the time to mock our president or insult him? I feel so sad, I feel very, very sad. The fact is that God brought President Buhari at the time he came and he has been doing well. Whoever thought that anyone could fight corruption in this country like he is doing at the moment? He is a man of integrity who fought for the unity of this country. We visited him, we interfaced with him, and we discussed, cracked jokes and took pictures with him as well. He asked me about the security situation in Benue State and I told him that all is now under control, because he was particular on that and was pleased. All that he needs now is to eat well to gain more strength, and I think that as soon as his doctors give him the nod to come home he will come home because he is eager to return and continue from where he stopped. We told him not to be in a hurry because the acting President is doing well and holding forth for him and there is no vacuum. The good thing again is that the President has confidence in the acting President, so there is no cause for alarm at all. Let us all continue to pray for him because God has healed him and we should continue to pray for him to be strong enough to come home and continue leading us.
What is your view on the calls in several quarters for the restructuring of Nigeria?
My personal view on the issue of restructuring is that, as Nigerians, we sometime engage ourselves unnecessarily and waste time. We have elected representatives at the National Assembly representing everyone; 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives representing every part and segment of this country. I have said that if people have issues, the National Assembly should take the matter up. It is the best place to discuss whether we are restructuring or not. It is not when an individual rises up with ulterior motive and begins to say ‘I want restructuring’ and it becomes an issue. Those people who are talking about restructuring, I’m sure if you ask them they might not even know the meaning of what they are saying.
But it can be done, provided it is done to add value to the development of this country. We will support it but not like those who are looking for cheap popularity by agitating for it. Presently there is no coordinated approach to it; there are so many divergent views about the issue, which is why my party came out to say they do not understand what is meant by restructuring.
With 2019 fast approaching, we want to know if you are running for a second term or not?
I want to say that in my two weeks break I reflected, particularly if you chose to reflect on issues. I have always said that I’m a Divine product and whenever I pray, God gives me every direction. I know that the directives God gave me in the past have all come to pass. I believe that when I have challenges I should look up to God. When the coast is not clear I go back to God to get further direction. It is not easy to satisfy human beings. But what is important is to do the right thing and I want to assure you that I will always do that.
I keep saying that 2019 is around the corner but it is not a problem. For me as a Christian I always work with the Bible which says the problems of today are enough. So don’t leave today’s trouble and start fighting for tomorrow when by doing so you could easily break your neck. So let me deal with what I have today, when 2019 comes we will deal with it. But I can assure you, I’m not a foolish man because I work with God.
And I keep saying that even when it was with pepper I was able to finish the food how much more with chicken and pepper less soup. So nobody should be worried, I have told my party people that nobody should be worried nobody should insult anyone nobody should fight because of me, God is in charge, let us all be orderly, let us do the right thing and let’s be prayerful and God fearing. When that time comes I will not sponsor youths to carry arms like the last administration did, attacking my supporters. I will not do that.
If God says it is me nobody can stop me no matter what they do, it won’t stop me. But like I said, if I pray and no matter how bright my chances are and God says I should not run, I will not. I’m not going to kill myself because I want to be governor. After all I’m not an idle person. God has given me enough and the people of Benue have been kind to me. I’ve held several positions and I should be grateful for that alone. God has helped me, so I want to assure you that that will not be a problem at all. I want to assure all the civil servants that I appreciate their resilience, perseverance and understanding with me. One thing is that God has helped me to be transparent and open. I was one of the first that declared what I got from the Paris Club refund even in my absence I instructed the Deputy Governor to go ahead and announce what we received. But I want Benue people to know that we inherited over N69billion debt in salaries, gratuity and pensions.
Can you react to the prophesy by a Bishop in the state that you would not be able to continue as governor of the state?
Before I became governor, a fake prophet prophesied that if I became governor he should be stoned, but God made me governor. He has again come with another fake prophecy that I would not be able to continue in office. I know that there are false prophets all over the place so his prophecies will certainly not come to pass. Benue people will certainly be happier for having this government, that I can assure everyone in the state.
What is your take on the resolution of the recent strike embarked on by staff of the Benue State University?
On the issue of Benue State University, there must be staff audit. The redundant staff will have to go. We have decided that the IGR of the school will be used judiciously and it will be used to pay the remaining Academic Earned Allowance being owed the aggrieved workers. Thank God that the strike has been called off, because having over 40,000 students on the streets was not easy and I was indeed having sleepless night.
I know that people say a lot of things but such people are lazy people. The farming I’m doing today started over 27years ago. Whatever I have here in Makurdi and in my village have been going on since that time and several people have been there including the media. It’s not a hidden thing and not a crime for me to go into farming.
But the fact still remains that I don’t operate a snake farm. I told my Attorney General to find out where this is coming from because we must instill discipline in the polity. Let people say the truth and be ready to defend what they say.
That is why I want to appeal that the media must always cross check their facts to confirm whatever anyone says about the other person. If it is a general statement it is a different thing but if it is on a particular person it has to be confirmed. My media team is always there to confirm any issue concerning me or the government. The fact is that I have become an institution by virtue of my position as governor, so any thing you say about me is referring to the governor of the state.
And so I think that those who wrote such things will be asked politely to try and clarify where they identified us with snake. Maybe we will all go to the farm and see whether we have snakes there. I know that in my farm we do livestock, fishery, poultry, we are into citrus, snail farming and also grains. And of late we are trying to introduce mushroom because it is a new diet across the globe and we need to introduce it in Benue State.