By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has refuted claims that he harbored hatred for the late President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting his criticisms were based solely on the federal government’s handling of security challenges in Benue during Buhari’s administration.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Ortom clarified that his stance was never personal but rather a reflection of his responsibility to safeguard the lives and welfare of the people who elected him.
“I didn’t hate Buhari. I didn’t hate his government. I didn’t hate any Fulani man,” Ortom said. “All I was standing for was my constitutional duty to ensure the security and welfare of my people. I was simply doing my job.”
Ortom maintained that his vocal criticism of the Buhari administration stemmed from its failure to adequately address the rising violence and insecurity in Benue State. He said he could not remain silent while his people were being killed.
“I had to speak out,” he explained. “I couldn’t just sit back and continue to bury people. Beyond speaking out, my administration also proposed solutions that we believed could help end the crisis.”
He further argued that if the federal government had embraced the proposals made by his administration, the security crisis in Benue would not have persisted to its current level.
Ortom expressed deep frustration over what he described as the Buhari government’s lack of cooperation, claiming that initiatives like the Ruga ranching programme were ineffective and served as a smokescreen.
He also rejected the common narrative of a herders-farmers conflict, saying the violence was far more insidious. “It is not about herders and farmers clashing. These are armed herders invading communities, killing people, destroying farmlands, raping women, and committing heinous crimes,” he said.
