From Rose Ejembi Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has once again appealed to the Federal Government not to muzzle patriotic Nigerians who are raising genuine concerns over the worsening security situation in the country.
Governor Ortom, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase said it was unfair and repressive for the Federal Government to view the message of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah as hate speech against President Muhammadu Buhari.
“He says Bishop Kukah is a selfless Nigerian who only seeks to unite the nation and speaks his mind frankly on national issues calling on the government to serve the people.
“The Governor suggests that instead of politicizing the views of the Bishop and castigating him, the Federal Government should take a second look at the things he raised in the Christmas Day message to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Oregon who posited that Nigeria as a nation practicing democracy, freedom of speech should be guaranteed for all citizens and not a military regime which suppresses the right of the people to voice their opinions on challenges facing their country.
“Governor Ortom says it is incumbent on the Federal Government to listen to the views of the people and take steps to address the worrisome security situation and other problems confronting the country rather than combatively engaging anyone who dares to hold an alternative opinion.
“He stresses that at this challenging time in the country’s history, the people expect their leaders to be tolerant, patient, humane, sincere, and always seek to address the issues that affect shared interests of citizens.
The Governor who described the Bishop’s statement as a true reflection of the current situation in Nigeria, enjoined President Buhari not to listen to sycophants who may tell him that everything is well with the country, stressing that, “All is not well.”
Governor Ortom who maintained that Kukah is not the first to say that hundreds of innocent Nigerians are being killed in cold blood by bandits, kidnappers, armed herdsmen and other terrorists, stressed that even under the worst dictatorships, courageous citizens express their views on issues of national interest, adding that Nigeria as a democratic nation cannot be an exception.
“The renowned Bishop is not the first to call on the leadership of the country to strengthen security agencies and be proactive in combating the wave of violence and killings in parts of the country.
“Many other Nigerians have been making the same call on daily basis. He was not the first to suggest that the President should be the father of all and not of only a section of the country or a particular ethnic group.”
He warned that the attitude of whipping into silence, men and women of honour who speak against injustice will not take the country to greater heights.
“The Governor states that the government needs critics who make constructive observations and recommendations for it to work in the interest of the people.
“According to him, great nations of the world got to their enviable heights by harnessing and utilizing ideas of their citizens, not by discouraging those who made bold submissions on the development of their countries.
“Governor Ortom believes in the unity, growth and potential of Nigeria to overcome its current economic and security challenges and live up the true meaning of its title as the Giant of Africa,” the statement concluded.