Chief Ortom deserves kudos as history won’t forget him over Benue insecurity

By Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi

Chief Samuel Ortom PhD, on assuming duties as governor of Benue state on May 29, 2015 met a very poor security situation, and that he managed till he was able to make some deadly militia members put down their tools. Some of them genuinely surrendered their arms and embraced the carrot approach of the former governor while some surrendered their arms and later join the enemies of the state to reignite insecurity in the state.

As it stood then, the former governor began a serious consultation on how to stop insecurity both from the militia and Fulani herdsmen in Benue state. Politicians, religion leaders, stakeholders, government officials, lawmakers and traditional rulers were consulted, and the idea of enforcing an Anti Open Grazing Law was raised.

Chief Ortom began actions and got the supports of everyone including the state lawmakers. The Bill became a Law, and a day to make it official was fixed.

At the events were politicians, clergies, monarchs of all classes, state and federal lawmakers from the state, members of the then state executive council and stakeholders.

Something happened shortly before the public presentation of the Law. Efforts were made to stop it. Pressures were mounted on Chief Samuel Ortom to abort it but he declined. That day, the Law that partially liberated the people of Benue state was introduced. Partially? Yes because some of the cabals in Abuja were frustrating the former governor and the Law. They were trying to please the then president, Muhammadu Buhari who happened to be the life patron of the herders association but today, almost all the governors across the country have introduced the Anti Open Grazing Law in their respective states.

With the consistent efforts and outcries from Chief Samuel Ortom PhD, the powers of Fulani herders reduced. Their grip on the people of Benue reduced because they saw a warrior that would not relent on the face of the former governor. Ortom too was ready to surrender his life if that would stop the killings of his subjects by the Fulanis. The Fulanis were however getting federal backing with the influence of some power brokers in the state.

Despite all this, Chief Ortom continued to expose how the then federal government was backing the Fulani herdsmen to take over Benue’s lands. This became a serious issue between Chief Ortom and the Buhari-led administration.

The then government in Abuja withheld several benefits that belonged to Benue state. Lots of loans which the Ortom-led administration applied for with the aim of using same to develop Benue state were denied with the supports of those power brokers in the state.

Attempts were made on Chief Samuel Ortom’s life on several occasions. The most glaring was the one that took place on his farm in Guma, and till today the federal government hasn’t condemned it or set up a Probe Panel to bring the evil doers to book. General Buhari practically ignored it despite the fact that it was a state governor that was attacked by the Fulani herdsmen.

Insecurity in Benue reduced drastically before Ortom ended his tenure because he made sure that the Anti Open Grazing Law took its full course.

And Ortom left the government :

Immediately Chief Samuel Ortom ended his tenure, the same people that tormented him started tormenting the current governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia just for the same reason.

Several deadly attacks had been carried out between May 29, 2023 and now, and the federal government isn’t doing anything about it because the same power brokers that stood against chief Ortom are still in charge in Abuja.

Even if Chief Ortom is hated and maliciously persecuted tomorrow, one thing is certain. It is that history will never forget him for his fight against insecurity and those oppressing the people of the state under his watch.

To be continued

I am Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi, De Oracular Oracle that eats jollof rice in the shrine.

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