the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP immediately the people of state ask him to do so.
The governor was responding to the call by the Governor of Ekiti
State, Ayodele Fayose who paid him condolence visit yesterday
following the killing of several people of the state by Fulani
herdsmen.
Fayose had told him to "change to another vehicle if the vehicle
conveying you cannot take you to your destination and or is faulty."
He said, "I am a member of the APC and about the issue of joining
another vehicle, Benue people are here and they are hearing you. I
cannot decide for Benue people, the people will decide, it is what
they want that I will want. Anything Benue people say I should do, I
will do.
"Nigeria can never be the same, Benue can never be the same because
there is going to be a paradigm shift, there is going to be a turn
around never witnessed in our history.
"And one of them is that I have joined my brother Fayose to be
outspoken on things that are done wrongly in this country. We have a
constitution and laws guiding us and I believe in the rule of law and
due process and anything outside that whether here or at the national
level I must challenge.
"Those who think that I'm talking, should give me Justice, let there
be equity, let their be fairness, let there be transparency in what we
are doing. Not hiding under to intimidate and engaging in name
calling, it will not be accepted.
"I am an elected Governor and I must speak on behalf of the people who
put me there and nothing more because I am accountable to them and
whatever they want is what I will do. With the state Assembly we are
working together, the law was a product of the people.
"Today people are passing through the back door to grant immunity to
Miyetti Allah, herdsmen and their cattle which is not in the
constitution.
"Cows have taken over our bedrooms, our schools, farms and everything.
And those who are charged with the responsibility of protecting us
have taken sides and to the extent that they have become the
mouthpiece of Miyetti Allah and herdsmen, this will not be accepted.
"States have been making law why is our own different, but our law has
come to stay. Of course it is not about grazing but it is about taking
over our land but this will not be accepted in the 21st century.
"If the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Defense are
failing in their duties and the President cannot sack them, we leave
ourselves to God who will direct us on what to do.
"I am a member of the APC but I cannot keep quiet when my people are
being annihilated I will not accept that because I cannot be Governor
over dead people. I'm not a dead man either.
"The responsibility of enforcing the law is that of the federal
government. That is why I have joined the voices calling for the
restructuring of the country.
"Because we cannot have an IGP who is the mouthpiece of Miyetti Allah.
And we cannot have a minister who should be protecting the territorial
integrity of this country coming out to say it is foreigners that are
responsible for the killings.
"We cannot have a security architecture that is not ready to protect
lives and property. That allow herdsmen carry guns and displaying it
openly.
"Today herdsmen have also taken over kidnapping in the country from
North to South because they have guns and are being protected by the
IGP and when you talk they start calling you names.
"I must send a message that Samuel Ortom is not a drowning man. I was
a nobody but God lifted me to several important position in life, so I
know where I'm coming from, I'm not a drowning man. I dropped out of
school in 1979 but I hold a Doctorate Degree today. After passing
through several leadership positions in this country today I am a
Governor and I'm doing my job.
"Now it is clear that our country must be restructured for the tenets
of rule of law to be respected. Any herdsmen that is not comfortable
with the grazing law should go to Kano where the Governor has
requested that they come.
"Today because of the activities of herdsmen in Benue state over
60,000 of our children can no longer go to school and are residing in
seven IDPs camps across the state. They have truncated the education
of our children. It very painful.
"To compound the problem the crisis in Cameroon has spilled to Kwande
and we have opened two camps where 7,000 persons are being housed, so
on the whole we have nine IDPs camps in Benue state. After the
killings of the 73 people the killings are still continuing almost on
a daily basis and more people are coming into the IDPs camps.
"Though I read that Mr. President has approved the deployment of the
military, I thank the President though I have not been communicated
officially but I hope it will help in restoring peace and normally.
"Regrettably his directive to the IGP to relocate to Benue was not
obeyed and he also failed to do his job. We are calling for his
resignation. Such people cannot work for Mr. President he needs better
people to assist him including the Minister of Defence. These are bear
footed people who have nothing to offer.
"I commend the National Assembly for rejecting the biased report of
the IGP which portrayed him as the mouthpiece of Miyetti."
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