By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Muhammad Buhari has further divided Nigeria in his six years in office, says Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, accusing him of dealing in injustice and stoking nepotism, tribalism, and sectionalism like never before done by any other leader.
He said Buhari’s tribalism violates the principle of federal character in the Constitution and his lopsided federal appointments and other acts of sectionalism are the worst since independence and have divided the country more than ever.
Ortom is the main Governor who regularly stands up to Buhari’s excesses and incompetence. Last month, he reiterated that the President spares Fulani killer herdsmen but pursues activists Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho.
His latest dig at Buhari came in Enugu where he spoke on “Emerging security situation in the South-East: the place of good governance” at a lecture organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Enugu chapel.
“The lopsided federal appointments, nepotism and other acts of sectionalism, particularly from 2015 to date, have divided Nigeria now more than at any other time in the country’s history.
“The Federal Character Principle as enshrined in the Constitution has been abused and abandoned by the present administration. This is where leadership has failed Nigerians and good governance has also been relegated to the back seat,” he said.
“Eastern Nigeria, like other parts of the country, deserves equal attention with the provision of critical infrastructure and development projects, as well as allocation of resources and key appointments at the federal level.”
Ortom, who pledged never be cowed, reiterated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has failed in every area, per reporting by The PUNCH.
He said the federal government is busy fighting perceived opposition while at the same time looking the other way amid mindless killing and maiming of Nigerians by herdsmen.
“The present administration at the centre has adopted the approach of intimidation of those who dare to voice out their frustrations and concerns over growing insecurity and marginalisation.
“But I, Samuel Ortom, will never keep quiet as long as injustice and marginalisation prevail in the affairs of our country.”
Ortom reiterates Buhari spares Fulani killer herdsmen but pursues Kanu, Igboho
Last month, Ortom repeated his criticism of Buhari for his hypocrisy in tackling insecurity in which he pampers Islamist jihadists in the North but deals harshly with separatists in the South.
He said security forces under Buhari have demonstrated capacity with the arrest of Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, Yoruba nation agitator.
Ortom challenged Buhari’s government on Channels Television to go after herdsmen and terrorists killing, raping, and kidnapping people with the same gusto it has used to pursue separatists, per reporting by Vanguard.
Buhari’s orders
On Buhari’s orders, Nigerian security agents broke international law when they kidnapped Kanu in Nairobi, Kenya on June 27 and brought him to Abuja where he has since been detained to continue his court trial for treason.
He is being held by the Department of State Services (DSS) for advocating a separate country for the Igbos because of their mistreatment in Nigeria.
Buhari is also pressing to extradite Igboho from Benin Republic for agitating for a Yoruba nation carved out of Nigeria’s South West because Fulani herdsmen attack his people with impunity.
He wants Igboho to join Kanu in DSS gulag.
On Buhari’s orders, heavily armed DSS personnel had invaded Igboho’s residence in Ibadan on July 1 and riddled the building with bullets in their desperation to kill him. They could not get him but killed two of his aides and arrested 12 others.
After five weeks in DSS custody, the 12 aides were granted court bail on August 4 in bonds ranging between N5 million and N10 million with two sureties each.
Igboho has spent more than two months in custody in Cotonou while Abuja pushes for his extradition.
Many Nigerians have knocked Buhari for sparing bandits and terrorists on the rampage in the North and clamping down on Igboho, Kanu and other separatists.
Buhari’s lack of commitment
Ortom said killer militiamen target his state because he banned open grazing.
His words: “I see a lot of lack of commitment on the part of the federal government in ensuring that we have security in this country.
“I will give an example: recently, the federal government has demonstrated the capacity by going after Nnamdi Kanu, who was leading IPOB. I am told he was even arrested in a foreign land with the cooperation of Interpol and so on.
“I heard that Sunday Igboho has been arrested. With that kind of commitment, it shows that the federal government has the capacity.
“Today, bandits, Fulani militia, are terrorising the entire country, the country is in disarray and these Fulani militias have come out with video clips … and they have identified where they are.
“It was amazing that a top government official comes out to say that the Fulani militias are invisible.
“How? Are they spirits? Why is the government not going after these Fulani militias and bandits that are terrorising the entire country and terrorising my state?
“Just two days ago, two humanitarian workers were gunned down in my own village by these Fulani militias and their phones taken away.
“And the Fulani militias took the phones and when one of their (victims’) brothers called, they confirmed that they had killed them and they are in possession of their phones and that they should tell me to repeal the prohibition of open grazing otherwise they have the right to continue to kill since I said there would be no open grazing in Benue State.
“These people who are here, who are calling themselves bandits and are kidnapping our children from school, who are calling themselves Fulani militia and are killing people, driving them from their lands and taking over, why is the federal government not going after them like they went after Sunday Igboho and went after Nnamdi Kanu?”
Ortom said the attacks have displaced more than 1.5 million people in Benue, adding that the federal administration of the APC has failed in all aspects of governance.
“APC has failed this country. Is it security, is it economically, politically and socially? Where are we today? We can’t go to our villages.”