By SAA AONDO, Benue –
The Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has strongly disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari who recently directed state governors to look inwards for solutions to the security challenges occasioned by killer herdsmen in various parts of the country.
The President had, during a live interview last week Friday on ARISE TV, expressed dismay at State Governors who run to him to complain about insecurity in their respective States.
The President wondered what had happened to the previously existing grassroots collaboration between traditional and religious leaders which had guaranteed security at that level in the past. He charged the Governors to revive that collaboration.
Governor Ortom voiced his opposition while delivering his Democracy Day address at Government House Makurdi.
He said that, as Commander in Chief, it is only the President who has responsibility over the nation’s Armed Forces and only he could order use of arms.
“The President must do his job,” he averred.
He said that with the way the security situation in Benue State is depreciating, the State nay be forced to “procure AK 47 rifles for responsible citizens so that when the Fulani from Chad or wherever come to kill us, we too will be prepared.”
Governor Ortom expressed concerns over the growing number of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in Benue State, noting that they currently number over 1.5 million.
He disclosed that the population in the camps has since out over grown the eight camps established in several parts of the State in 2018, and pointed out that even three additional camps later established in Konshisha, Ado and Agatu could not solve the problem of over crowding in the camps.
The Governor admitted that the State was overwhelmed with the problem, pointing out that even funds promised the State by the federal government to help with the problem were yet to be released.
“There is no help coming from anywhere,” he lamented, and appealed to private individuals and corporate organizations to come to the aid of the internally displaced persons.
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