Killings: Stop blame game, implement Tinubu’s advices – Ortom tells Alia

From Attah Ede Makurdi 

The Immediate past governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, has advised his successor, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia to immediately commence total implementation of President Tinubu’s recommendation in order to put an end to the security challenges in the state.

He further said that Alia should stop the blame game and instead concentrate on addressing the state’s security challenges, stressing that it be five days the president left the state,  but that the Governor has apparently yet to begin implementing any of the recommendations.

Chief Ortom who spoke through his media aide, Terver Akase in a statement on Sunday, said Governor Alia keeps dragging his name into issues that have nothing to do with him.

“We saw a statement from Governor Alia, issued through his Chief Press Secretary, once again shifting focus to former Governor Ortom, despite the issue having no relevance to him,” said Terver Akase, Ortom’s media aide.

 “Governor Alia and his team appear fixated on Ortom, seizing every opportunity to drag his name into unrelated matters. This blame game needs to end.

”Alia’s claim that over four million people were displaced under Ortom’s leadership, is misleading. Ortom administration had established a credible data system for tracking internally displaced persons (IDPs), in partnership with both national and international bodies, including NEMA, UNHCR, UNICEF, and the ICRC.

“In fact, the figure of 1.5 million IDPs that Governor Alia now quotes was handed over to him by Ortom’s administration”

“As if Benue State is in some contest to determine under whose leadership more people are/were killed, Governor Alia gleefully asserted in his statement that during his time, the number of internally displaced persons has dropped to less than 1.5 million.

“At no point in his two tenures did Governor Ortom claim that Benue had four million IDPs. The Ortom administration engaged in several strategic partnership initiatives that brought expertise, professionalism, and promoted proper data collection for effective and efficient coordination and management of IDPs in the state.

 “Through these initiatives, the administration developed the Benue State Humanitarian Response Plan and generated empirical and verifiable data on IDPs and Cameroonian refugees through Benue SEMA, in collaboration with and partnership among MDAs, local, national, and international organizations such as NEMA, NCFRMI, UNHCR, IOM, UNDP, UNICEF, MSF, ICRC, FJDP, BENGONET, Jiredoo Foundation, among others”, the statement read part.

Chief  therefore accused Governor Alia of politicizing the killings in Benue State by armed herders, asking him to focus on genuine solutions rather than political distractions.

“People are dying like animals in rural communities, yet the government continues to downplay the scale of deaths and displacement,” Akase stated.

He urged Governor Alia to begin implementing the security and humanitarian recommendations given by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit to Benue State.

“It’s been five days since the President visited and offered clear advice to the governor. Why hasn’t any concrete action been taken?” he asked.

The statement also cited a protest by hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Makurdi, who claimed they had been abandoned by the government. Akase expressed shock that while IDPs suffer, the Executive Secretary of SEMA—tasked with their welfare—was reportedly seen attending a lavish wedding in the United Kingdom.

He also advised Governor Alia to grant full financial autonomy to the 23 local governments in Benue, in line with a Supreme Court ruling.

“Since the removal of fuel subsidy, local government allocations have increased by over 400%. These councils should be allowed to use their funds to enhance security and development,” Akase said.

In conclusion, he warned that Ortom’s camp would no longer remain silent in the face of misinformation.

“Let it be known that moving forward, any false claims made by the current administration against former Governor Ortom will receive a prompt and fitting response. 

“Ortom has handed over the reins—he did his part and stepped aside. It is now the responsibility of the current administration to lead effectively,” he asserted.