APC forces planning to destabilise Benue —Ortom

After the impeachment move on Governor Samuel Ortom by eight members of the state House of Assembly, the governor during the week spoke with newsmen on how the plan was hatched and other plans. JOHNSON BABAJIDE brings the excerpts.

HOW did you receive the plot to impeach you by eight members of the state assembly?

It is a deliberate plan to destabilise the state and what you saw in the assembly was phase one of how they are trying to do away with the legitimate leadership of the House and the legality that follows it by getting eight members of the House under the cover of the Nigeria police with the instructions, as we heard, from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and also the Director General of the Department of State Services. I believe that President Muhammadu Buhari is not aware of this. Even looking at the statement on Benue matters, the president completely exonerated himself. I think what is left now is for him to call the IGP and the DG SSS who are his appointees to order and tell them to do the needful because all of us are on oath to protect the constitution. So, I expect more than that. I am not asking him for too much. I am not asking for any extraordinary measure to be taken in Benue State, but the right thing should be done. So, mine is to provide intelligence gathering which I have done.

Are you saying that there are other plans from these lawmakers?

The Plan B is that Senator George Akume and his people have the cover of IGP and DG SSS and the army to ensure that the state is destabilised and they have held meetings. It is not a hidden fact and they have approached the assembly members with huge cash to be given to them so that they can do anything to the state and they will be given full security protection as exhibited in the House of Assembly. So, my duty is to alert those who are charged with responsibility of ensuring that there is peace and if they want to derail, my duty is to point out to them and also point this to President Buhari.

What are you going to do with this development?

I have summoned an emergency security meeting and all those things would be tabled at the right time. We are going to make security report pointing out all these things to him. So, we are been proactive because this is the plan of the senator to collaborate with neighboring states to ensure that Benue does not know peace.

This is going on. Already, we have been told from my local government in Guma that after the Operation Whirl Stroke which has done very well since they came, we must commend President Buhari for sending them here and for the operation they are doing, this has succeeded in chasing away all the herdsmen and their militia. But as of yesterday (Tuesday) when the Plan B failed, I am talking about the impeachment; the herdsmen have started moving into the state. The report I got from the chairman of my local government was that more than 10,000 herds of cattle with strange faces were seen in Guma. So, this is a proof and I hope the security agencies would take up the matter. I have communicated already to the commander Operation Whirl Stroke as I hope they will continue to the good job that they are doing.

EFCC said it is probing you. Why do you think you are being investigated?

How can they single me out for investigation? If you are talking about my security vote, I am not afraid of that because I have not committed any crime. The records are there. But the investigation should start from 1999 when Akume was governor and by now after leaving office, he should also be prosecuted. I am aware that Akume has a case with the EFCC where he was accused of gross misconduct and should have been investigated. Why is EFCC persecuting me? If you talk about security vote, it should start from 1999. Let the EFCC then investigate and bring that one out too. But to continue from 2015 when I took over to now is persecution and it is what is strange to me and I want the whole world to know that it is about persecution.

EFCC should not be used as a tool to intimidate us. And another issue is this, why did they wait until I defected to PDP? This is clear case of witch-hunting. They should give justice to all, they should investigate all. But like I said again, how about the 36 states, how about the presidency itself? They should investigate all.

That the presidential spokesman came out to say that nobody investigate security vote and clearly said that nobody can disclose his security vote because the life of one person is very important. You are all witnesses to the security challenges, we have also been proactive and I challenge the EFCC to bring out the records of other governors in Nigeria, including those of APC so that we can prove whether I have done anything wrong and let them prove whether I have taken one naira or diverted anything to my personal gain. They should treat everyone equally. Nobody is a sacred cow. They should come out clean, or else it means deliberate persecution, blackmail and intimidation.

As a sitting governor, why do you think you are being persecuted?

They are doing this for two reasons: one, because we enacted the anti open grazing law which to us in Benue State is the panacea to the frequent clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the state. It is a win-win law and it was a popular demand of the people of Benue. And for me, democracy is by doing what the majority of people want and I have no regrets and whatever they want let them go ahead and do it but the day of reckoning will surely come.

The second reason is my defection to PDP. I am a free citizen of this country and I have contributed immensely to the political development of this country. I was elected a chairman from 1992-1993. I served meritoriously in various political parties from national level of APC to PDP. So, I should be free to express myself. I know it is not a crime to defect to any political party of one’s choice, even in the developed democracy like USA it is done and I know our democracy is drawn from America and we should also respect it. We have freedom of operation, freedom of speech, freedom of association and so on and that includes freedom of associating with any other political party, after all, there is no permanent enemy in politics but permanent interest.

Even when once your interest is not protected in one political party, you find where your interest can be protected. At this time, the interest of Benue people is not being protected by APC and me. That’s why l have decided to join the PDP that had been rebranded, reformed and restructured itself to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians and I think Benue and myself were safer in PDP today that would protect us and our interest.

• I’m in PDP, not ADC —Adeola-Akande

What proofs do you have to show that Senator George Akume is involved in all these matters?

Whatever l discussed in government house is also known to him. The senator has been holding meetings. In fact, he held meetings and attempted to buy the 22 members of the House of Assembly and each of them was given N4million. Those 22 members, some of them who have been approached, got back to me. As you are aware, l defected with 10 members of the Benue State House of Assembly out of the 17 APC members. So, these people were approached and N4 million each and told to destabilise the state and move an impeachment notice against me for no just cause and you begin to ask Akume and the APC.

The same people were praising me that l have been very good, that l have managed the party very well, including the national chairman who was castigating me the other day. This is somebody during his tenure as governor, at a point, owed workers salaries up to 18 months. And up till today in his own state where he ruled for  eight years, the state is still owing pension, gratuity and salary. He that comes to equity should at least come with clean hands.

Already, Adams Oshiomhole, who is the national chairman of APC, is having a litigation by a Bishop who felt that he embezzled the Edo State money and so, l don’t know what justification he has to do this.

But all this while, they have been begging, pleading and appealing that I should not move from APC when the trouble began. So, all of a sudden, after l defected, l have become a bad man. This is the point we are saying. But time will tell by the grace of God where everything will be known.

I am aware from the report l got from members who were approached to be in the plot to find anything to accuse me of misappropriation and initiated an impeachment process and they rejected it. The report got to me that the Plan B was to ensure that they bring herdsmen to Benue attack us and l have seen the traces. Therefore, l hold the Senator responsible and if you notice what they have been doing, what has the Senator said since the attacks on Benue, especially his senatorial district where he is representing them in Abuja. Tell me what he has said against the invasion. Rather, he is coming to me that we should repeal the law, that there are two powerful people that we can’t contend with. What is the meaning of that? Should we surrender our state to invasion because people are powerful? Is that what we should be doing? So, this is the point and as far as I am concerned, time will tell.

What legal action have you taken to contain the situation?

You are aware that an injunction was issued by the Chief Judge of the State, but we saw what had happened. It was disregarded by the police and DSS. They went to enforce illegality in the assembly and from the assembly, we have gone back to court because we are law-abiding citizens and I have told them that there is need to find a legal means of pressing on with our case. That is ongoing and l believe that the impeached speaker and other members who plotted the cut corner are on the run. I understand that court proceeding is going on against them. But, at our own end, we have taken every necessary legal step against whatever that is trying to cause destabilisation in the state.

Are you saying that the police are collaborating with others to perfect the alleged illegality in the state?

Of course, there is no doubt that the police are collaborating with our enemies to destabilise the state. As you can see, the state assembly is sealed and when I spoke with the commissioner of police, he told me it was an order from above and that he can’t reverse it until he goes to Abuja and the police are not elected members of the House. There are legitimate members who are elected by Benue people and there is no crisis. Twenty-two (22) members against eight (8) members. It is very clear that the 22 members have taken the leadership and as of today, the assembly members who are legitimately elected by the people to conduct the affairs of the assembly are stopped from performing their rightful and lawful duties. They have gone to court and the Attorney General of the state had already petitioned the Police Service Commission in Abuja and l expect that they will respond and ensure that there is no impunity and that the ongoing illegality being enforced by the police is stopped.

The sealing off of the assembly is illegal. They have no right to do that but because they intend to cause disaffection in the state and cause anarchy, which is wrong. The duty of police as you know is to enforce the law and to ensure peace to our people. Their work is not to preside over the assembly. So, it is condemnable. They are trying to take over our assembly and this would not be accepted. Arising from what President Buhari said yesterday, l believe he will definitely call them to order because I am sure the president is not aware of the illegality that is being perpetrated by the police and DSS in Benue. The president l know, once it gets to him, something will definitely be done.