In an interview, the Benue Governor, Governor Ortum was asked what was his reaction to the comments of the Defence Minister that the Anti-Open grazing law was what fueled the killings by the Fulani Herdsmen in Benue State and Taraba.
Here's what he says;
We are not distracted, the anti-grazing law was done in the best interest of Benue State and Nigeria. Before the law came in place, Benue State was attacked more than 40 times and we suffered casualties and destructions.
In 2014 alone, an assessment by the Bureau of Local Governments came out with a figure of N95 billion that was lost in terms of property and assets of Benue people, destroyed due to herdsmen attacks. Thirteen local government areas out of 23 were under siege.
The herdsmen came and took over the entire land. When we came in 2015, this challenge continued, the killings continued, the burning and destruction, the raping of our wives and children continued. And we tried to broker peace as law- abiding citizens and as people who believe in leadership with the fear of God. We did everything to ensure that we had peace yet the peace we were looking for never came. And as leaders with the responsibility of providing security for lives and property, we prayed and God directed us and we went into research.
We discovered that globally, cattle ranching remains the best practice in animal husbandry around the world. Argentina and Brazil earn much from beef export but they ranch. America produces cattle more than most countries of the world, they ranch. China and other Asian countries do same; even in Africa, it’s the same practice. Swaziland is one of the smallest countries in Africa that earn much from beef; they also ranch. What we did was the popular wish of the people.
The law was not smuggled. It was a product of the cry of the people and as a responsible government, we heard their cry and presented a bill before the State House of Assembly that went further to do public hearings across the state to get the input of everyone that was concerned because of the importance of the bill.
Today, you talk about ranching in some states, grazing reserve in some states and tomorrow you talk about colony. I don’t understand, when globally what is being practised is ranching.
Here's what he says;
We are not distracted, the anti-grazing law was done in the best interest of Benue State and Nigeria. Before the law came in place, Benue State was attacked more than 40 times and we suffered casualties and destructions.
In 2014 alone, an assessment by the Bureau of Local Governments came out with a figure of N95 billion that was lost in terms of property and assets of Benue people, destroyed due to herdsmen attacks. Thirteen local government areas out of 23 were under siege.
The herdsmen came and took over the entire land. When we came in 2015, this challenge continued, the killings continued, the burning and destruction, the raping of our wives and children continued. And we tried to broker peace as law- abiding citizens and as people who believe in leadership with the fear of God. We did everything to ensure that we had peace yet the peace we were looking for never came. And as leaders with the responsibility of providing security for lives and property, we prayed and God directed us and we went into research.
We discovered that globally, cattle ranching remains the best practice in animal husbandry around the world. Argentina and Brazil earn much from beef export but they ranch. America produces cattle more than most countries of the world, they ranch. China and other Asian countries do same; even in Africa, it’s the same practice. Swaziland is one of the smallest countries in Africa that earn much from beef; they also ranch. What we did was the popular wish of the people.
The law was not smuggled. It was a product of the cry of the people and as a responsible government, we heard their cry and presented a bill before the State House of Assembly that went further to do public hearings across the state to get the input of everyone that was concerned because of the importance of the bill.
Today, you talk about ranching in some states, grazing reserve in some states and tomorrow you talk about colony. I don’t understand, when globally what is being practised is ranching.
I heard and I saw the Minister of Defence after their security meeting. While briefing the Press, he said it was the law prohibiting open grazing that brought the killings in Benue State. I saw that and I said to myself, it cannot be the Minister of Defence!
Somebody who worked and retired from the army after attaining the rank of a General. This is someone who is a Minister, who is educated and has travelled far and wide round the globe. How could he say that?
‘Honourable Minister of Defence, if you said that kind of a thing, where were you as the Minister of this country when herdsmen were carrying AK-47 and weapons higher than AK-47 and were going about killing my people and you want me to keep quiet? And I begin to wonder. The other day, the Federal Government came out with a pronouncement that it was ISIS, a terrorist group in West Africa that is attacking Benue people and on the other hand, I was told that the Minister said that we should accommodate foreigners.
What a country? Foreigners come in without valid papers and they come to take over your land and you surrender it to them? Minister, I will not do that in Benue State, we will not surrender our land.
You can go and do it in your own state and not in Benue State. These people who are supposed to be assisting Mr. President are there for their selfish interests, misinforming him, misdirecting him instead of guiding him to do the right thing.
Killings are going on in the states and they are talking about law. Is there any grazing law in Adamawa, Plateau, Kaduna, Enugu, Kwara, Zamfara and several other states? Is there any law prohibiting open grazing in those places?
Innocent people, pregnant women were slaughtered and a minister will come out and say this kind of thing; it is unfortunate, really unfortunate.
But I want to send a message, that the God I serve lives. The God I serve is the God of justice for the poor and innocent.
They can do whatever they like today because they have the power but God is our defence. We will continue to be law-abiding.
You talk about hate speech, how can people keep quiet? If everybody keeps quiet, I’m not going to keep quiet. I’m going to say it. What they are doing is wrong. They should stop diverting attention; they should address these issues.
All ethnic groups in the country and even foreigners who have valid papers are free to come to Benue State to do business. But if you stay in Benue State, you must obey the laws of the land, that is the point we are making.
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