Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, on Thursday, said Nigerians are feeling very sorry for electing President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015 considering the level of insecurity and biting economic hardship in the country.

The Governor who spoke shortly after signing the amended Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017 in Makurdi said all was not well with the country and there was every need for the President to listen to the cries of Nigerians and come up with policies that would mitigate the economic hardship in the country.

The Governor lamented that Nigeria is in disarray while mediocre and sycophants had surrounded the President saying “corrupt people that are in the government are deceiving you the President. But I must tell you the truth that all is not well.

“You need to listen to us; you need to listen to the voice of the masses who elected you, because they may have been deceived, now we are sorry that we elected you as President of this country,” he said.

While describing the recent unveiling of rice pyramid in Abuja as a huge fraud by those deceiving the President, Governor Ortom wondered how the government could display a massive rice pyramid yet Nigerians are hungry and not able to feed themselves.

“Somebody explained to me that they got 5,000 sacks of rice and put them on a pyramidal and claimed you have achieved something, but you have not achieved anything. The people behind these things are deceitful; they are telling the President lies.

“That fake rice pyramid is that what will help Nigeria? Introduce policies that will help us improve on our agriculture and economy. The first thing you will do is to chase away the marauding Fulani men who are your kinsmen to stop harassing us so that we can farm and produce enough rice for Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.

The Governor who also faulted the corruption fight of the government said, “This government has not fought corruption the way we expected them to do since 2015. All the people they are prosecuting are just perceived enemies. The fight is selective, there are former governors in the present cabinet that should be facing trial for corruption but they are not. So which corruption are they fighting?

“Let us do the right thing; let us stick to the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, let us ensure fairness, equity and justice for everybody then things would work,” he added.

The Governor urged Nigerians of voting age to ensure they all have their Permanent Voters Card handy ahead of the 2023 election in order to vote out the APC government for inflicting so much pains on the masses.

On the amended ranching law, the Governor explained that the new law made provisions for stiffer penalties stipulating N50,000 fine for any impounded cattle with N20,000 paid daily for any cattle in the confines of the government; and thereafter auctioned after seven days.

(Vanguard)

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