Continued herdsmen attacks rob off N400b growth from Benue in 3 years—Ortom
The Benue State Governor, Mr Samuel Ortom has revealed that attacks orchestrated by visiting Fulani herdsmen which has increased since this government came in, has led to the loss of over N400 billion worth of property in the state between 2015 and this month.
Taking the attacks as the highest challenge of his administration in the last three years, Ortom averred that the estimate was arrived at following preliminary report of assessment of damages caused by the crisis.
He made it clear that the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017, was the peoples legislation, and he had no regret whatsoever concerning the enactment and implementation of the law.
He stressed that no amount of intimidation or blackmail would make them repeal it.
In his words: “I have no regret. Why should I have any regret doing the will of my people? They trusted me and gave me their votes and I will not betray what they want. I’m doing what they want and I’ve no regret”.
He commended other governors who took cue from him in enacting anti-open grazing law including Ekiti, Taraba and Abia States, saying it was the right way to go even as he also called on Nigerians with a better alternative to bring it on the table to find a lasting solution to farmers and herdsmen crisis in the country.
Ortom, who expressed anger on the recent utterances of the Defence Minister, Dan-Masur Ali for suggesting that cause of the killings remains the new law, challenged the minister to come out and tell Nigerians why there are killings in Zamfara, his home state, and other states of Nigeria like Kaduna, Adamawa, Plateau, Enugu, Kogi, among others, where the law does not exist.
