Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday during an interface with newsmen in Makurdi stated that President Muhammadu Buhari could get votes from the state if his campaign policy and programmes for his re-election are in tandem with the interest of Benue people.
The interface was to commemorate democracy day celebration.
Governor Ortom explained that despite the fact that Benue people have lost lives as a result of the incessant killings by Fulani herdsmen, the president can still convince the people to reelect him if he can come to campaign in the state with the interest of the people at heart.
According to him, there are no permanent enemies in politics but permanent interests, noting that it was ideological fallacy to say that President Buhari was behind the killings in the state, since the killings predate his administration.
In his words “Benue people are not holding Buhari responsible for the merciless killings but we have identified the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as our killers. They have come out openly to oppose the anti-open grazing law which was being implemented in the state and have sponsored several killings.
“So, President Muhammadu Buhari’s votes from the state would be determined if only his campaign policy and programmes for his re-election is in line with the interest of Benue people”.
Speaking on his achievements so far in the past three years, the governor said despite the security and economic challenges confronting this administration, he has been able to fulfill many of his campaign promises ranging from the construction of more than 40 primary health care centers across the state and provision of water and sanitation to over 50 communities.
He disclosed that the state government is at the verge of terminating the Makurdi Cargo Airport project after the state government had fulfilled all its own obligations saying the main investor has failed to meet with their own agreement.
“l don’t think we will continue with the Cargo Airport project because they contractors have failed on their part.
“The Igumale Cement factory project had failed to take off after we have done all that we needed to do with Chinese partner s. Therefore, we are not going on with the project and we have thrown open the opportunity for any individual interested to invest in that area to go and take over the project.”
