“I will never again support any Fulani man in the 2023 elections to continue with the killing of my people and collection of their ancestral land”. The above segregative statement was uttered by the Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state on November 7, 2022, during the inauguration of the 5G governors in the Benue state banquet hall Government House, Makurdi.
The statement was indeed problematic in a multicultural country like Nigeria where peace is becoming elusive. Therefore, let me categorically make it clear to Governor Ortom, that he shouldn’t play politics with ethnicity at the expense of security.
Meanwhile, he can keep fighting Atiku Abubakar, the PDP and Iyorchia Ayu but not play politics with ethnicity. How could Ortom as an elder statesman be recklessky accusing Fulani men of being responsible for the insecurity in Nigeria?
Having grudges against the PDP presidential candidate or the party chairman does not give Ortom the right to breach the law by accusing the Fulani people of being the perpetrators of the insecurity plaguing the nation, particularly in his home state of Benue. His actions and utterances are uncalled for.
The fact that Ortom has an axe to grind with his party, the PDP, Atiku Abubakar and party chairman Iyorchia Ayu does not mean that he has an issue with the entire Fulani in the nation. Ortom can deal with Atiku the way he likes but note that it’s not allowed to be accusing one tribe or the other of a crime that they have not committed.
Not just Benue state, as far as the nation’s constitution is concerned, a Fulani man has constitutional rights to live in any part of the nation, everywhere around Nigeria is a Fulani’s home and for the Tiv people it is the same right. Nonetheless, the issue of seizing ancestral land should not arise.
However, no Fulani man ever wanted to seize anybody’s ancestral land. On the other hand, if Ortom and his likes want to quit PDP why can’t you do so, who stopped you? But didn’t exploit the fact that that you want to quit PDP to make segregative utterances to divide our teeming populace or disrupt the nation’s peace. This will be taken lightly, we will declare you and your likes as enemies of the peace of our nation.
On a similar note, mixing politics with ethnicity when trying to achieve your goals is not the best option except you are trying to harm the fragile peace the nation is enjoying if not I can see no reason why Ortom will be accusing Fulani men of escalating violence.
Therefore, at this point, the relevant authorities should take note of Ortom’s deed and drag him to face the wrath of the law as what is presently doing is beyond the limit. This is in our quest to maintain law and order and in failure, Ortom would nearly set this nation on fire with his ungodly utterances against the Fulani people.
On a final note, if Ortom has an issue with Atiku Abubakar let him go and finish alone, to accuse Fulani isn’t the best option considering the nation’s situation. Let us be peace ambassadors and not peace destroyers. Fulani people have esteem and regard for you so please don’t misbehave in a public arena because of personal interest.
Understand that terrorism has no region or ethnicity
Betty Benjamin Oluchi,
Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri,
Maiduguri, Borno state
