Ortom vs Buhari: Elder Statesman Advises Those Criticizing Governor

Elder Statesman and former Minister of Steel in the Second Republic, Wantaregh Paul Unongo has advised those castigating Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to stop.

AllNews recalls that the presidency and Ortom have been involved in a squabble in the past few weeks.

Ortom had in a recent interview accused President Muhammadu Buhari of trying to “Fulanise” the country, while reacting to the president’s approval of the recommendations of a committee to review 368 grazing reserves across 25 states in the country.

Responding to Ortom’s comment, the presidency accused the Benue governor of “using language reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide” to cause the deaths of Nigerians.

In reaction, Ortom said he spoke the minds of many Nigerians on the “specific areas of failure of the presidency and its complicity in the heinous crimes committed against citizens by armed Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists”. The Benue State No.1 citizen has a top backer in Unong.

Unongo who spoke, Monday, at the Benue stakeholders meeting held in Makurdi put together by the State Government in Makurdi said the message the Governor had consistently passed across to President Buhari and the entire country was that Benue people communities were being attacked by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen and that the development was becoming unbearable.

“I will advise those who are painting the picture that Ortom is fighting a personal or political war with the President to desist forthwith.“Ortom is only doing what every man with the thoughts of his people at heart will do. The best thing is for Mr. President to listen to Ortom without a bias mind. Those who are trying to paint Ortom bad before the President are really doing him the President more damage,” Unongo said.