The presidency has laid the blame of the dire security situation in Benue State entirely at the feet of the outgoing governor, Samuel Ortom.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu in a statement said as for the man who has actually presided over Benue State for the past eight years, its outgoing governor, Ortom is to be blamed for the security situation in Benue.
He however, said the people of Benue State know the truth, noting that it is they who have suffered under Ortom’s “leadership”.
According to him, “it is they who have experienced first-hand the mass killings, the torture, the litany of atrocities as Benue’s security situation plummeted ever further. It is they who buried their loved ones while watching their careless, irresponsible and incompetent governor politicise those freshly dug graves.
“And it is they who turned to the last privilege they had left: their democratic privilege, to resoundingly kick out Ortom and his so-called Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in favour of a new governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Iornem Alia from Buhari’s party, the APC.
“But since the Daily Trust and ThisDay may not be as well informed as their Benue compatriots, this blatant rewriting of history must be addressed. For their education, we humbly submit a list – far from exhaustive – of the steps taken personally by President Buhari to address the deteriorating situation in Benue. These were, in many cases, roundly ignored – if not outright obstructed – by former Governor Ortom:
“A number of in-person meetings with the governor of Benue State and other community leaders, assuring them of the federal government’s commitment to protecting farmers and communities.
“The establishment and funding of Joint Security Operations, code-named Operation Whirl Stroke (OWS). To date, the OWS team remains in place. A number of OWS security agents have given their lives protecting the people of Benue. Many were endangered further by Ortom’s fake news and disinformation campaigns, and his unwillingness to engage with the project.
“The deployment of special security forces to flash-points in the state including the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services and other security agencies.
“The deployment of an array of NAF fighter aircraft, Mi-35 helicopter gunships as well as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platforms.
“The Deployment of 10 Units of the Police Mobile Force, Ten (10) Units of Police Special Forces (Tactical Operation Units) and Aerial Surveillance Teams (Police Helicopters).
“The Acquisition and deployment of modern military armaments. The provision of timely and actionable intelligence to Ortom (which were routinely ignored).
“The prompt provision of humanitarian support to victims via the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.”
Despite these efforts, Shehu said we know that the new governor, Rev. Fr. Alia, has his work cut out as in his own words, he is inheriting a state that is in the intensive care unit
