Ortom slams Bauchi gov over critical comment on treatment of herdsmen
Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has faulted his Bauchi State counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed for criticising his handling of the Fulani herdsmen-farmers clashes in Benue.
Ortom made his position known in a Friday statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase.
Speaking at an event organised by Bauchi journalists on Thursday, Mohammed blamed Ortom for instigating the alleged ill-treatment of herdsmen across the country.
He was reacting to quit notices issued to herdsmen in some parts of the South-West geopolitical zone.
“On the herders-farmers clashes, you have seen what our colleagues in the South-West are doing and some of them in South-East. Some of us told them with all modesty and humility – you are wrong.
“But the person that is most wrong is the Governor of Benue State, my brother and my colleague, Governor (Samuel) Ortom; he started all these. If you don’t accommodate other tribes we are also accommodating your people in Bauchi and other places.
“We have so many Tiv people working and farming in Alkaleri, farming in Tafawa Balewa, farming in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi; has anyone asked them to go? We have not, because it is their constitutional rights to be there,” the Bauchi State Governor said.
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Reacting, Ortom described Mohammed’s statement as “disappointing”.
The statement read, “Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom describes as disappointing, the comments made by his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed who blamed him for what he termed ‘negative perception of Fulani herders’ when he spoke on the current security situation in the country.
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