The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has condemned the siege laid to the National Assembly by security agencies, describing it as a violation of the rights of Nigerians.
He called on Nigerians to resist the action which he described as impunity.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, the governor said. “I condemn police invasion of the National Assembly and urge patriotic Nigerians to reject this impunity which is an assault on our democracy. We cannot afford to remain the laughing stock of the world.”
The governor insisted that the action of the security operatives had made the country a laughing stock and was capable of degenerating into lawlessness.
He said there were rules and procedures as well as Constitutional provisions that governed the conduct of the business of the National Assembly and that any attempt to break them was condemnable.
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Governor Ortom said a similar breach of democratic norms was also happening in the Benue State House of Assembly, and stressed that if it was tolerated at the highest level, the impunity would spread across the country.
He wondered why the Federal Government saw nothing wrong with those defecting from the PDP to the APC but was bent on persecuting those leaving the ruling party.
The governor describes the action of the security agencies as an infringement on the fundamental right of freedom of association of Nigerians, which must be resisted.
He notes that the Presidency denied any role in the Benue saga but did not follow up with any sanctions for those responsible, making the denial suspect.
