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‘No amount of blackmail, attack can stop me – Ortom fires back at Presidency

Published

3 years ago

August 26, 2021

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said that no amount of blackmail and media attack from President Muhammadu Buhari can discourage him from speaking against the injustice and pain the present government has caused Nigerians..

Recall that Governor Ortom during an interview with Channels TV on Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda on open grazing is to ‘Fulanize’ Nigeria.

His comment triggered a reaction from the presidency which accused Ortom of inciting ethnic violence.

Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu also accused the Governor of being responsible for the surge in insecurity.

Reacting, Ortom in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase on Thursday said the statement shows the quality of the Presidency Nigeria currently has adding that they abandoned the message and went for the messenger.

”We read the statement released by the Presidency in response to Governor Samuel Ortom’s recent interview on Channels Television in which he raised a number of concerns bordering on the worsening security situation across the country.

”To describe as ‘undistinguished’, the career of a man who has held many key positions at the state and national levels proves that those who penned the piece were under the influence of some negative substances.

”The Governor spoke the minds of most Nigerians on specific areas of failure of the Presidency and its complicity in the heinous crimes committed against citizens by armed Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists. Instead of taking the Governor on those points, Shehu went chasing vain and mundane matters in a desperate attempt to malign the Governor.

”No amount of sponsored smear campaigns against the Governor can force him to repeal the law on open grazing of cattle in Benue State.

”We advise the Presidency to focus on ending the killing of innocent Nigerians, fix the economy as it promised and stop the stinking corruption under their watch.

”They can’t run away from their responsibility. They were brought to power to serve the country not to oppress the people and suppress their freedom of speech.

”Governor Ortom stands by his words.The agenda of the present administration is to Islamize and Fulanize the nation as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Professor Kunle Olawunmi and other patriotic Nigerians have rightly said,” the statement said