Samuel Ortom
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has accused the federal government of keeping silent as foreign militia herdsmen continue to wipe out communities in his state.
Ortom spoke on Tuesday, and said that the silence of the Federal Government to killings by foreign militia herdsmen is an agenda of ethic cleansing and continuation of the 1804 Usman Danfodio Jihadist Movement across the country.
Ortom, who made the remark at the Benue Peoples House Makurdi, faulted the alleged FG’s biased handling of the security situation in the state and other parts of the country.
The governor stated this when he played host to Doctors Without Borders led by Mrs Froukje Pelsma, head of mission in Nigeria.
Governor Ortom, who accused the FG of playing nepotism, lamented that a section of Nigerians is treated as sacred cows while others are oppressed even when there are no provocations.
According to him, the FG has the capacity to arrest criminals, kidnappers and killer herdsmen but had chosen to remain adamant to activities of militia herdsmen most of whom are foreigners.
While noting that he remains an advocate of peace and unity of Nigeria, Governor Ortom said he is genuinely concerned and worried too, that Nigerians cannot be protected in their homeland.
He said he was happy that other leaders of the country across political divides had seen the evil agenda of the Fulanis and had started speaking against it.
Governor Ortom thanked Doctors Without Borders and other Development Partners for their support to the plight of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs and pledged his administration’s support to their operations.
Leader of the delegation, Mrs Froukje Pelsma, acknowledged the support of the government to their intervention in the health needs of the IDPs in the state.
She appealed for the recruitment of more staff especially in the area of health by the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, preparatory to takeover from the organisation.
