Benue: ‘I Säcrificéd My Political Caréer To Ensuré Sécurity,” Otom Réplies Gov Alia

Samuel Ortom, the immediate past governor of the state says he sacrificed his political career to ensure security in the North Central state.

The former governor was replying his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, who accused him of being complicit in the insecurity in the state.

Frequent clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers have resulted in bloody clashes in the state.

As governor, Ortom had accused the federal government of abandoning the state, while Fulani herdsmen had a free rein.

Governor Alia, however, accused the former governor of not doing enough to tame insecurity in the state.

Reacting, former Governor Ortom said he was denied all assistance because of his stance that he would not allow the enemies of the state to take over.

The former governor who made this known in a statement by his spokesperson, Terver Akase, in Makurdi the state capital, said Governor Alia has no proof of the ‘weighty allegations” he made against him, stressing that he confronted the monster of insecurity while in office.

Otom said, “It is an incontestable fact that His Excellency Ortom was the first Benue Governor who boldly confronted the monster known as armed herdsmen attacks on Benue people, which predated his administration.

“He (Ortom) was the first governor to enact a law not only to end open grazing of livestock in all parts of the state but to also introduce ranching as the global best practice of animal husbandry.

“In his eight years as Governor, Chief Ortom never accused Benue youths of being cattle rustlers and killers of their own people.

“Instead, he encouraged youths of the state to aspire to achieve their dreams, and his administration engaged young people who were willing to complement conventional security agencies as members of the state Community Volunteer Guards.

“The Livestock Guards, whom his administration had earlier established as the enforcement agency of the law on open grazing, were also made up of hard-working and patriotic Benue youths who, for six years, did a commendable job,’ the former governor said.