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General News of Friday, 30 April 2021

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Insecurity: I’m disappointed in you - Buhari to Ortom

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed disappointment at the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom for making several accusations against him and his administration.

Recently in Benue State, gunmen attacked and killed military personnel and innocent citizens taking refuge in an Internally Displaced People’s camp

Following the unfortunate incidents in the state, President Buhari noted that he takes no pleasure to see innocent people get killed.

In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari stated that with the recent happenings in the country, more collaboration needs to be done rather than engage in blame game.

He added that the Ortom administration has refused to cooperate with the Federal Government in the implementation of a number of national strategies that will create peace, progress and development for the state.

The statement read thus:

The President expresses his condolences to the families of our dear citizens who lost their loved ones in the recent spate of killings in Benue State.

“Furthermore, he states that the rising levels of incidents, especially the killings and violence in various parts of the country calls for further collaboration with security agencies to curb its recurrence.

“He also states his disappointment and sadness to hear Samuel Ortom, the Governor of Benue State make a litany of accusations against his person and his government of following the recent unfortunate incidents in the state.

“No responsible government takes pleasure in such events as the killing of the military and that of innocent citizens taking refuge in an Internally Displaced People’s camp. President Buhari is deeply pained by the terrible acts of violence happening not only in Benue State but also in other parts of the country and expects that the law enforcement agencies will go to every possible extent to catch the perpetrators of these heinous acts and bring them to justice.

“The lives of fellow citizens should not be desecrated by deploying them in political diatribe which unfortunately appeared to be the intent of the string of emotional attacks and blame laid at the doors of the President for those killings by Governor Ortom. President Buhari took an oath to defend the life and property of every citizen, a duty he takes seriously and is committed to ensuring.

“Those citizens regardless of their affiliations, who either incite, sponsor or are proven to be abettors of these atrocities will face the law squarely and be answerable for their crimes against our fellow citizens and nation.

“President Buhari continuously stresses that the strength of our country lies in our diversity in faith, culture, and traditions and attempts to sharpen the divide between northern and southern Nigeria, between Muslims and Christians, and between communities that have coexisted for centuries should be frowned upon and resisted. As Nigerians, we accuse colonial rulers of the policy of divide and rule. Today, it is our own leaders who put region against region, religion against religion, ethnic group against ethnic group and community against community.”