Benue people left me alone at the end of my tenure – Ortom

Former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has lamented that the majority of the state’s residents, including some of his key appointees, abandoned him when it mattered most at the end of his tenure.

Speaking at a luncheon organised in his honour by a forum of Christian brethren in Makurdi, the state capital, Ortom said he felt the lack of fellowship and support from people he had served. He described the experience as distressing, noting that while it is common for past administrations to leave behind months of unpaid salaries, pensions, and gratuities, the angry reaction of some Benue residents was unprecedented.

Ortom accused the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari of failing to support the state’s anti-open grazing law, legislation he said was designed to promote ranching and improve animal husbandry in Benue. He recalled that the law faced strong opposition, particularly from Fulani herders who demanded its repeal and threatened to make the state ungovernable if it was not reversed.

The former governor said that the Buhari administration allegedly withheld funds from his government, making governance difficult and contributing to the delay in the payment of salaries, pensions, and gratuities.

Despite the resistance, Ortom said his administration remained committed to enforcing the law, a stance that allegedly led to seven assassination attempts on his life. He added that he was invited to the Presidential Villa by the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), where he was reportedly offered N75 billion—N40 billion to clear arrears and N35 billion for infrastructural development—if he agreed to repeal the law. Ortom described the offer as a “Trojan horse” and said he rejected it to avoid potential political and security backlash.

He also claimed that opposition politicians, including some former aides, capitalised on the financial challenges his administration faced to discredit him, alleging that they were recruited by the federal government to exert pressure and blackmail.

“It was a difficult moment for me. Sometimes I wept, but I remembered that I serve God and depend on Him for protection,” Ortom said. “I told God that since I cannot withstand the challenges, let the people who were hungry and angry about my inability to pay salaries, pensions, and gratuities do what they wanted.”