Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has urged the federal government to tender unreserved apology to the Benue state government and approve the release of N100 billion to state for the purpose of ranching.
Ortom who stated this while fielding questions from journalists in Makurdi on Friday, was reacting to the news of the federal government’s approval of N6.5 billion to Katsina State for the establishment of ranches.
Ortom said the news that the federal government had approved N6.5billion for President Buhari’s home-state for the establishment of ranches is not only hypocritical but also contradicts the President’s earlier stance to continue with open-grazing.
“It is hypocrisy for the federal government to approve money for ranching in a state and leave others out. And in fact, the Governor of (Katsina) state in his remarks said N5billion had already been remitted to their coffers. So, I begin to wonder, where are we headed.
“If the President has approved N6.5billion for Katsina state, they should also approve N100billion for Benue state with apology to me because we started it,” he said.
Ortom stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government has failed the country adding that Nigerians under the APC are suffering and smiling.
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He recalled the words of a famous afro music singer, Fela saying “That is why I also appreciate the late Fela Anikulakpo Kuti who in one of the songs he sang long ago foresaw what is happening today in the country, which he titled ‘suffering and smiling’. That is exactly what we are going through in Nigeria under the APC led federal government.
“That man (Fela) spoke prophetically about what we are going through in Nigeria. Today, Nigerians are truly suffering and smiling. I feel so sad because we have failed our country but I pray God helps us.
“Tell me where we are economically, security wise, politically where is Nigeria? So, when I hear people say that they are decamping from one political party to the APC, one wonders what they are going there to do.
“Even you the journalists who are talking to me, can you in all honesty say this government of APC and the presidency have impacted your lives? So we must not be afraid to speak out,” Ortom said.
