Ortom Meets PMB, Tells him to call herdsmen to order

Following threats by the leadership of Miyetti Allah that they would mobilise their members to resist the anti- open grazing law, Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the herdsmen to order.

Speaking to State House Correspondents Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, he said threats by the Miyetti Allah to make the state ungovernable is unacceptable.

He assured the citizens of the state that he has directed the security agencies to arrest the leadership of Miyetti Allah, to serve as a deterrent to other trouble maker.

Ortom said “Well, I am a law abiding citizen and a governor, Benue people are law abiding that is why in the midst of the provocation from herdsmen attack, we took time to ensure that we put in place, sign it and we are going to start implementation 1st of November and we hope that people will comply.

“And everyone in Benue State should appreciate the fact that it is the law that is giving us protection. It is the intention of this government to ensure that we give protection to lives and property through the rule of law. So, anyone staying in Benue State must comply. One thing I must say is that the law protects herdsmen and farmers.

“We are against cattle rustling, those who are caught will be penalized. Those who want to stay in Benue State and do cattle business must ranch their cattles, this is what we are saying. As far as we are concern, the law is not targeted at any individual, group of people of ethnic group, it is meant to protect everyone who is living in Benue State.

“Miyetti Allah has taken us to court and we are there with them. But I don’t see how they will come and over run Benue and make it ungovernable, it is not going to be accepted. We stand by what we have done, we have done our legitimate, lawful role as governor as citizens of the state, so, we don’t see how somebody will sit somewhere and say that we should not implement a law that has restored peace in our place.

“If you want to bring confusion I want to assure you that I have directed the security men to arrest those people. I am calling for the arrest of the leadership of Meyetti Allah, to be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.

“We have for a long time celebrated impunity in this country, we cannot continue like that. And so if they come out with this kind of threat, the evidence are there, they did a world press conference, so what is the security agencies doing? These people must be penalized.”

On the ongoing strike in the state, Governor Ortom explained that he inherited N69 billion arrears on pensions, gratuities and salaries with over N70 billion contractual obligations adding that   it has been a huge burden on the state finances.

According to him, President Buhari has promised to find ways that the state can also get support.

He disclosed that Benue State wage bill is one of the highest in the country which stands at N7.8 billion.

While assuring that the state government is   going to prosecute anyone who is found culpable in the salary inflation, he stated that N7.8 billion wage bill for Benue State is out of place and there is no way they  will continue in this manner.

“I and my council, we have looked at the wage bill and compare with what people are collecting elsewhere in the country and we have done to an average of N4.5 billion that we just have to review it to that.

“Because an average income for Benue State both from federation account and IGI stands at slightly above N6 billion. So, if you are paying salaries alone you are have a deficit of N1.8 billion a month. It is impossible and we have security issues to tackle and several other things that government must run and so it becomes a big problem.

“I don’t have problems with my workers because they understood it, we are transparent, everybody has seen what we are doing but we have to find a way around it. I can assure you that in the next few weeks that is what we are working on and by the grace of God we will come to a reasonable figure that we will be able to pay salaries as at when due,” he stated.

- Leadershipng