Ortom berates Wike over call for emergency rule

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, yesterday, berated his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, over the latter’s call for the declaration of a state of emergency in Benue, describing the call as laughable and unfortunate.
Governor Ortom said Rivers, and not Benue, should come under emergency rule.
Ortom, who was reacting to a newspaper publication where the Rivers Governor called for emergency rule in Benue State, following the recent killings in parts of the state, noted that there were more killings in Rivers than Benue.
Ortom said: “It is unfortunate because if you talk about declaring of a state of emergency as a result of killings, I am aware that there are more killings in Rivers than Benue.
“Here we know the root, in Rivers there is no root. They do things as if there is no leadership. They take laws into their hands; we don’t do that here. And I will not subscribe to taking laws into my hands or anybody doing so in Benue State.
“One thing I am sure of is that we are on top of the situation we found ourselves in. On the issue of herdsmen attacks and criminality, we have got them under control. I inherited a state that was ravaged by criminality, killings, terror, assassination and kidnapping.
“When was the last time you heard that somebody was kidnapped in Benue State? When did you hear last that robbery took place in Benue State?
“If we talk about rivalry between farmers and herdsmen, it is not peculiar to Benue. We have sent a bill to the state House of Assembly. We are proposing ranching as an option.”

They politicised
security—Wike
Meanwhile, Governor Wike has explained his call for the state of emergency in Benue State, claiming Ortom was one of those who politicised insecurity in the country.
Addressing the University of Port Harcourt Governing Council at the Government House during a courtesy visit yesterday, Governor Wike said Ortom was in the league of All Progressives Congress, APC, governors who plotted a state of emergency against Rivers State when the state had security challenges.
He said: “Benue Governor has lost control. That is why there is an immediate need to declare a state of emergency for the restoration of security and protection of the people.
“When Rivers had security challenges, Ortom was amongst the APC governors who plotted for the declaration of a state of emergency in the state instead of joining hands to proffer solutions— they politicised it.”
He said as a result of the politicisation of security by APC governors, insecurity had been exported to several parts of the country.