Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has declared support for Bishop Mathew Kukah Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, telling President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to the voice of reason on national issues. Governor Ortom in a statement by his chief press secretary, Terver Akase, insisted that he stands with Bishop Kukah on the issues he raised. He maintained that the issues the Catholic Bishop pointed out in his address to the United States Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs, are facts about Nigeria and, therefore, should not be politicized.
Governor Ortom berated the Nigerian Presidency over its attack on the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, in an address to the United States Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs relating to the rising insecurity in Nigeria. The governor counseled the Presidency to resist the temptation of intimidating opposition voices offering solutions to the country’s socio-economic crisis.
The Benue governor enjoined the Federal Government to eschew from intimidating patriotic Nigerians raising genuine concerns over the dwindling security and economic fortunes. He advocated that Nigeria is practicing democracy and should have no room for repression and dictatorship.
Governor Ortom argued that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech to all citizens, unlike a military regime that suppresses the right of the people to express their opinions on national challenges.
Governor Ortom acknowledged that Bishop Kukah is one Nigerian who is selfless and speaks his mind frankly on national issues, demanding the government to ensure justice, the rule of law and equity for all. The governor insisted that Kukah was not wrong to point out that nepotism has been elevated above federal character by the present administration.
Ortom also collaborated Bishop Kukah that Christians in Nigeria are targets of elimination, noting that “thousands have already fallen to the sword of jihadist supremacists.”
Governor Ortom argued that no one should blame Bishop Kukah for the ranking of Nigeria as the 8th least peaceful country in Africa and the rating of killer herdsmen as the 4th deadliest terror group in the world by the Global Terrorism Index.
The governor advocated that the Presidency should rather be worried that Nigeria is ranked as the most terrorised nation in Africa with an average of over 2,000 deaths per year on account of terrorism.
Ortom cautioned that the combative approach the Presidency adopted in engaging citizens on national issues will not resolve the crises in the country.
The Governor stated that Bishop Kukah is not the first Nigerian to address a foreign audience on the security situation in the country.
Ortom pointed out that in February 2015, President Buhari, then, candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), delivered a speech at Chatham House in London, where he stated that “Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals.”
He recalled that the President proceeded “to announce to the world on that occasion that apart from the civil war era, Nigeria had never been more insecure in the country’s history.”
Governor Ortom argued that “if a man who was seeking to govern the country could reel out such scary statistics, why will his aides now launch media attacks on a clergyman who is only advocating peace and is drawing the attention of the global community to the plight of helpless Nigerians.”
Governor Ortom renewed his challenge to the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute members of armed Fulani militia for killing innocent Nigerians, the same way the government arrested the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu; and Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, to prove critics wrong that the government’s fight against terrorism and other crimes is unbiased.
Ortom emphasized that the President’s aides are deeply involved in corrupt practices and are denying Nigerians of the services and projects required to alleviate poverty and hunger in the land, saying that the President may not be collecting proceeds from corrupt deals under his administration and may even not be aware that such shady deals exist.
The Governor decried that the President may also not be aware that Nigerians are suffering from harsh economic conditions, many being killed by bandits, herdsmen and other terrorists because some of the persons saddled with the responsibility of telling him the truth have refused to do so.