National Insecurity: Buhari Disappointed In Ortom Who Only Sees Problems Of Others Not His – Presidential Aide

By Edna Wande Last updated Apr 30, 2021

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Thursday condemned accusations levelled against President Muhammadu Buhari by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom over the insecurity in the country.

It would recalled that Ortom on Tuesday accused President Buhari of working for the Fulani ethnic stock to take over Nigeria in a reaction to the recent killing of residents allegedly perpetrated by herdsmen.

The governor, who spoke in reaction to the recent killing of residents allegedly perpetrated by herdsmen in parts of North-Central state, also lamented that no fewer than 70 people have been killed in the last two weeks in three local governments in the state.

Reacting to this, Garba Shehu, condemned Governor Ortom for blaming Buhari for the deaths, saying the President expressed “disappointment and sadness” over Ortom’s statement.

Shehu said this in a statement titled, ‘Governor Ortom only sees the problems of others, he doesn’t see his own,’ made available to journalists on Thursday in Abuja.

The presidential aide expressed that the lives of fellow citizens should not be desecrated by deploying them in political diatribe which appeared to be the intent of the emotional attacks on the President by Ortom.

The statement reads in part;

He (Buhari) also states his disappointment and sadness to hear Samuel Ortom, the Governor of Benue State, make a litany of accusations against his person and his government of following the recent unfortunate incidents in the state.

No responsible government takes pleasure in such events as the killing of the military and that of innocent citizens taking refuge in an Internally Displaced People’s camp.

Shehu noted;

President Buhari is deeply pained by the terrible acts of violence happening not only in Benue State but also in other parts of the country and expects that the law enforcement agencies will go to every possible extent to catch the perpetrators of these heinous acts and bring them to justice.

The lives of fellow citizens should not be desecrated by deploying them in political diatribe which unfortunately appeared to be the intent of the string of emotional attacks and blame laid at the doors of the President for those killings by Governor Ortom.

President Buhari took an oath to defend the life and property of every citizen, a duty he takes seriously and is committed to ensuring.

The statement continues;

Those citizens regardless of their affiliations, who either incite, sponsor or are proven to be abettors of these atrocities will face the law squarely and be answerable for their crimes against our fellow citizens and nation.

President Buhari continuously stresses that the strength of our country lies in our diversity in faith, culture, and traditions and attempts to sharpen the divide between northern and southern Nigeria, between Muslims and Christians, and between communities that have coexisted for centuries should be frowned upon and resisted. As Nigerians, we accuse colonial rulers of the policy of divide and rule. Today, it is our own leaders who put region against region, religion against religion, ethnic group against ethnic group and community against community.

The future of Benue State and indeed that of the entire country lies in harmony and the respect for law, order, and the constitution. It is the only way to achieve progress and development.

It added;

While the President will continue to keep security, police and the armed forces on their toes to be on top of their act in troubled parts of the country, the situation in the states will greatly be helped by everyone working together because that is the foundation on which progress and prosperity can be achieved.