By: Henry Iyorkase, Makurdi.
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Saturday said any attempt by the federal government to take over Benue Valley land will be vehemently resisted.
The Governor made this declaration at Bureau for local government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Makurdi ,Capital City, while declaring open the distribution of Cassava stems, Maize,as well as water melon seeds, and sorghum to farmers in the State.
He further lambasted the federal government over their plan to expunge indigenous land and surrounder same to outside Fulani Cattle rearers by way of reintroduction of water resources bill, insisting that it is dead on arrival.
He said: “They want to camouflage Nigerians under this bill and if you don’t resist these moves now aimed at depriving Nigerians their lands, they will bring in Fulanis from Mali, Libya, Cameroon, to displaced indigenous people and settle there to cause havoc on innocents citizens.
“Therefore, I am imploring them to embarked upon such cattle colony elsewhere as our land is not even enough for us as indigenes to achieve our set goals.
The cattle colony which was established in the early 50s with barely over two million people is no longer tenable giving the expansion of the population amounting to slightly past five million in the State, presently.”
Ortom consequently restated the resolve of his people that their ready to fight with the drop of their blood should cattle rearers is allowed to settle on their ancestral lands, warning that whoever mutted the decision should refrained from it or face the catastrophe of our forefathers
Earlier, the Adviser on local government and Chieftaincy affairs, Barrister Ken Achabo expressed gratitude to Governor Samuel 0rtom on the distribution.
He charged council Chairmen in respective areas to ensure judicious distribution to onward farmers in their various domains.