My published commentary in the Blueprint, Daily Trust, Nation and other national newspapers on Governor Samuel Ortom’s call for self-defense against herdsmen, got him angry and as usual, he reacted through his media team led by the Chief Press Secretary Terver Akase.
I would like the Benue state governor to know that I don’t have a personal issue against him. I am an ordinary citizen of the state and the country that wants good things for everyone, even for those who don’t want any good thing to happen to me.
This is not the first time the chief press secretary to Governor Ortom and some of his media aides have written to me. But it is unfortunate that they are always directing their writings in a manner that one will think I have a personal issue against the governor, or I don’t know if Ortom is the one that directs them to do so.
The media aides to the governor and other loyalists of his are looking at me as an enemy that works against the Ortom administration because I criticise the governor and the state government when necessary. I do same to other governors in the country and even President Muhammadu Buhari but they have not taken it personal against me except Governor Ortom who thinks I hate him.
Let me advise Governor Ortom and his media team to learn how to accept facts and appreciate them. Thereafter, they should avoid exaggeration, insult and the display of other unprofessionalism in their works (re-joinders, etc).
I can give Governor Ortom’s media team a free lecture on how to effectively manage criticisms and use them for development instead of exaggerating them and making those who criticise look like enemies of state.
In Governor Ortom’s re-joinder, through his chief press secretary, the governor only called for responsible Nigerians to be licenced to own guns, and not all Nigerians.
I think the governor is particularly unhappy when I said he declared amnesty to disarm his people. Thereafter, he is now calling on them to procure arms for self-defence. But is that not true? If you say your call was for responsible Nigerians to be licenced to own guns for self-defence and not for the whole Nigerians to own guns, then who are the responsible Nigerians? Are they those who are governors and are owing the salaries and allowances of workers in their states?
Are they senators who pocket the allowances meant for their constituencies and use same for their personal interests? Or are they military officers who take sides in discharging their duties thereby setting some terrorists free and rehabilitating them but at the same time kill others that are not from the northern part of the country?
This is where the governor should define and tell us who are the responsible Nigerians.
And as well, the areas where people are not responsible, they should not be licenced to own guns and the herdsmen can invade those areas to carry out their usual massacre?
I am equally in support of self defence and I stated it in my initial publication that provoked the governor. I only wanted the governor to know that he is part of the government that has failed to protect lives and property.
Therefore, he should stop acting like a saint. And I still stand by my words. This is the same governor that was in APC yesterday, and today in PDP. Tomorrow he will go back to APC again. Look at him now blaming APC for his failure.
When Fayose was the governor of Ekiti state, Fulani herdsmen were not able to invade Ekiti state. He was able to prove that a state governor has all it takes to protect his people unlike Governor Ortom and other busy for nothing governors that sit down and wait for the federal government to tell them what to do.
For goodness sake, what can the federal government do aside sending operation Cat Race to arrest and kill the innocent people that are not even the herdsmen? Is that what you have been waiting for the so called federal government to do for your state?
It is very unfortunate that Governor Ortom is always looking for who to blame for his failures. And many people are busy applauding him despite his failure to protect their lives because he brainwashed them to believe it is the responsibility of the federal government to protect them!
We should wake up and stop allowing ourselves to be brainwashed. A state governor has power to protect the lives and property of his citizens as done before now by former Governor Fayose of Ekiti state.
Awunah Pius Terwase,
Mpape, Abuja.
09052385238
[email protected]
