June 29, (THEWILL) – Governor Samuel Ortom has cautioned any Benue person receiving crumbs from the federal government, to pursue Fulani agenda in the state, to have a rethink or face the wrath of being stone to death.
He said the unhappy Benue people, whose relations have been killed, displaced and are currently at various IDPs camps across the state, owing to activities of killer herdsmen, won’t spare such persons, no matter how highly placed in the society.
The governor, who made this assertion while swearing-in an Adviser, Permanent Secretary and twenty-three local government council chairmen on Wednesday, at Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, insists that his administration won’t repeal the Anti Open Grazing, Prohibition and Ranches Law passed by Benue State House of assembly in 2017.
“In the past, people used to move from town to their villages to collect food items. However, the reverse is the case today because Fulani herdsmen have sacked the natives from their ancestral homes who are beggars in town.”
According to him, while the PDP have conducted a crisis-free primaries, the APC are embroiled in crisis and litigations, arising from imposition of candidates in which a governorship flag bearer and national assembly are yet to be known in the state.
He appealed to Benue electorate to shun the opposition APC and vote all PDP candidates in the 2023 general election, so as to continue with the infrastructural development his administration has established in the past seven years in office.
Governor Ortom warned the council chairmen not to see themselves as sole administrators, but involve all stakeholders including security agents, traditional rulers, councillors on governance to achieve greater success.
“As Chief Security Officers in your respective councils, you should resist the temptation of abandoning your local government headquarters to live in Makurdi for any reason.
“Do not see the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), as your backyard okra to pluck and eat with your family. You have to account for it at the appropriate time”, he warned.
Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the chairman of Guma Local government area, who is also the State ALGON chairman, Mr Michael Uba, promised to work within the code of conduct, by carrying all stakeholders along in decision making.
He commended the electorate for the opportunity given to them to serve at that tier of government, which he noted won’t be taken for granted and called for support to deliver on their mandate.
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