Farmers-Herders Crisis: Ortom Urges Leaders to Speak Up
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State yesterday urged the Northern Elders Forum, the federal government and other stakeholders to intervene in the farmers/herdsmen conflicts before it snowballs into a major crisis in the country.
Ortom made the call in Makurdi while playing host to members of the Northern Elders Forum, led by a former minister of steel, Wantaregh Paul Unongo.
“Many leaders choose to keep quiet on this issue which seems to be sitting on a keg of gun powder. We must rise to check the problems between farmers and herders in the country,” he said.
The governor stressed the need for the forum and the federal government to find a lasting solution to the problem.
Ortom, however, commended the forum for its position on Nigeria’s unity and support for President Muhammadu Buhari. He also appreciated the members for making Wantaregh Unongo their leader after the death of the former permanent representative to the United Nations, Alhaji Maitama Sule.
In an earlier remark, Unongo said this was the first meeting of the forum since he assumed leadership and commended the governor for making adequate arrangements to accommodate guests.
Also, the deputy chairman of the forum, Alhaji Mustapha Bashir Wali, said with the emergence of Unongo as the forum’s leader, Benue has become the operational and spiritual home of the organisation.