The All Progressive Congress, APC, in Benue state has accused the state government of sponsoring attacks in some part of the state using the Livestock Guard.
But the PDP has said the APC was making the accusation out of fear of failing the forthcoming elections
The
APC House of Representatives Candidate for Makurdi/Guma Federal
Constituency, Mr Conrad Terhide Utaan made the allegation on Thursday
while briefing newsmen in reaction to the attacks in the community of
Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
He said he had called
the press to draw attention to a very dangerous trend emerging in the
state where, according to him, Gov. Samuel Ortom’s ineptitude to deliver
on good governance, had made him desperate for survival.
He said
that Gov Ortom had, recently, abandoned every single responsibility of
governance and had gone into politics, making inflammatory statements
that were inimical to the development of the state.
Utaan said
rumours about Fulani herdsmen being attacked on the fringes of the Benue
boundaries were deliberate provocations as the issues in the state were
not necessarily between Fulani herdsmen and the farmers.
He
noted that the Benue people have lived peacefully with Fulani before now
acknowledging that the competition for arable land for farming and land
for grazing had thrown up a lot of challenges between the two.
“As
it is now, the Benue government has decided to turn this into a
political tool to seek re-election. I have it on good authority that in
the last few weeks, state sponsored armed militia are being instigated
to hit at cattle settlements in circumstances that can be best described
as cattle rustling to the extent that it can create violence and
anarchy as we prepare for this 2019 elections.
“The intention, we are sure is that the governor wants people to believe that Benue is still under threat of Fulani occupation.”
He
noted that since the start of Operation Whirl Stroke in Benue, the
crisis in the state had abated except some deliberate provocation by
some armed militia in the guise of livestock guards.
He recalled
that at INEC meeting to discuss voting points for IDPs in the state, it
was agreed that all IDPs should return back to their homes for voting
but “this did not go down well with the governor since he preferred
elsewhere.”
“There was also an attempt for some people to vote
at Torkula axis to allow for rigging of the election. Guma LGA
chairman, Anthony Shawon suggested that Uvir ward should vote in
Gbajimba but stakeholders opted for Iye. After losing the arrangement,
the PDP deliberately decided to create anarchy in that area,” he said.
Utaan
insisted that the APC in the state is convinced that those who carried
out the attack on Iye, early hours of Thursday, were members of
Livestock guards sponsored by the governor.
“It was a state
sponsored violence on the people and not perpetrated by Fulani. We
therefore urge the Federal Government to urgently disband and disarm the
livestock or else, elections in Benue will be compromised.”
He
further alleged that Gov. Ortom and PDP planned to cause violence in
many areas of the state especially where they felt they do not have a
grip saying adequate security should be provided in Benue for a violence
free election.
Responding to allegations that he was sponsoring
militia to kill his people, Gov. Samuel Ortom stated that the APC was
heaping baseless accusations on him out of fear of defeat at the
forthcoming polls.
Ortom who responded through his Chief Press
Secretary, Terver Akase said “the APC is clearly in a panic mood
regarding the realities that is staring them in the face.
He said
such statements were not befitting of a politician seeking to represent
a people most of whom have lost their lives to herdsmen attacks and
that Mr. Utaan lacked the justification to accuse the governor whose
administration has signed the open grazing law to protect people of the
state.
He said Mr. Utaan’s attack on governor Ortom was also to
please the federal government to play down his purported investigation
by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
Mr. Terver
Akase was of the opinion that if anyone was to be accused of herdsmen
killings, it should be the APC that has failed woefully to protect the
people of Benue against herders attacks and not the governor.
He
also stated that if anyone was to be blamed for the attacks on Benue
people, it would be the APC and their leader in the state, Senator
George Akume.
The governor described Mr. Utaan’s comments as unpatriotic, insensitive and capable of disrupting the general elections.
On
the call to disband the livestock guards, Mr. Akase, said the federal
government did not have the right to dismantle the state livestock
guards which was legitimately constituted, saying those calling for the
proscription know nothing about the law and separation of powers.
He
therefore called on security agencies to provide everyone in the state
with adequate security now, during and after the elections.
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