The elders of the North have challenged Governor Ortom on the hate speech of the Fulani tribe. By Kamal Aliyu Sabongida. The Northern Eld...
The elders of the North have challenged Governor Ortom on the hate speech of the Fulani tribe.
By Kamal Aliyu Sabongida.
The Northern Elders Association (NEF) has described the comments made by the Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom as 'harsh', when he was condemning the killing of 18 people in his local government area on Friday. He said that he will never support a Palestinian to become the president of Nigeria again.
Ortom said this when he was hosting his counterparts from Rivers, Oyo, Abia and Enugu states at a dinner party in Makurdi, he said: "You want me to be a slave to the Palestinians. I'd rather die. My people are being killed and you want me to keep quiet. I will never support a Palestinian to become the president of the country. If there is someone who is willing to work with me to ensure the safety of my people, I will work with him."
However, the Northern Elders' Association in a statement issued on Wednesday signed by the Director of Information and Publicity, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said that the words of the Governor are not at all suitable for a leader, especially in the right when the problem of insecurity is being politicized in this country.
The group said, "We, like other Nigerians, have watched the video where the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom speaks in a manner and language that is not suitable for a leader.
"The Northern Elders Association continues to condemn the siege and insecurity that Nigerians have been living under in recent years. Especially in the North, Fulani crooks are prominent as killers, robbers and kidnappers.
"Governor Ortom should fulfill the oath he took and the promise he made to live as the leader of his people.
"He should avoid the temptation to play the game that, like other Nigerians, aspires to ease and put an end to the killings that provoke each other and lead to endless conflicts."