No cattle routes in Benue State, says Ortom

BENUE  State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Thursday has stated that there are no cattle routes in his state.

The governor stated this when he spoke at NKST Church, Buruku, while interacting with officials of the Christian Association of Nigeria during his re election campaign in the local government area.

Governor Ortom, who was reacting to the comments of President Muhammad Buhari ‘Meet the Candidates” televised on NTA on Wednesday said that the President’s overall performance during the interaction was shameful and a confirmation of what his wife, Aisha Buhari stated that having lost control, a cabal had taken charge.

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Ortom said that even if there were such routes which were gazetted he would have de-gazetted them as the current population of the state had made such routes untenable.

Governor Ortom stated that at the time such routes were contemplated in the sixties the entire population of the country was about 40 million while the current population is about 200 million thereby foreclosing the possibility of such routes.

He stated that he battled and overcame financial, social vices as well as security challenges during his first term which impacted negatively on his performance adding that if given a second mandate the end of his administration would be better than his rough beginning.

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Governor Ortom stated that the All Progressives Congress, (APC) controlled federal government failed to forestall attacks on the state by Jihadists who openly declared their conquest and occupation agenda on the state and thereafter failed to give the people justice when they demanded it.

According to him this development coupled with what he described as the deliberate neglect of Benue people by not giving them strategic positions in government prompted him to seek an alternative platform on which to pursue his reelection.
He appealed to the people to seize the opportunity of the General Elections this year to vote for all the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party who he said will protect their interests and guarantee their survival.