President Mohammadu Buhari has flayed Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, for his utterances, implementation of an aggressive anti-open grazing law and for accusing the President of failing to take actions against herdsmen because he is also a member of the Fulani herders.
Buhari stated this during his interview with Arise TV, yesterday.
Buhari said indeed, he is a Fulani man but Ortom was being unfair to him. He said he had told Ortom that the herdsmen perpetrating the attacks are not the Nigerian Fulani.
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“The problem is trying to understand the culture of the cattle rearers. There is a cultural difference between the Tiv and the Fulani. So, the governor of Benue said I am not disciplining the cattle rearers because I am one of them.
“I cannot say I am not one of them but he is being very unfair to me and I told him that the Nigerian cattle rearer was not carrying anything more than a stick, sometime with a machete to cut some trees and feed his cattle but those sophisticated ones move with AK 47.
“So, from other areas, people rush to Nigeria. You know Fulani from Mauritania and Central Africa look the same, so they feel they are the Nigerian ones and I assure you that we are trying to resuscitate these cattle routes, grazing areas and make them accountable.”
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The president also tasked state governors to rise up to the challenges facing their individual states, recalling how he sent back two southern governors to their states after submitting reports of violence.
“These governors campaigned and won elections, they should be able to sort out issues arising in their localities, not running to the presidency. You know these people more than I do, and you are democratically elected to protect your people. Don’t sit idly expecting me to do everything, take action,” President Buhari said.
