Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has raved at his Plateau State counterpart, Governor Simon Lalong, warning him to stop interfering in the affairs of Benue state.
Governor Ortom, who spoke in the early hours of today, Monday, shortly after a stakeholders’ meeting with National Economic Council (NEC), technical committee on herdsman/ farmers crisis resolution, led by Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, said: “I’m the governor here (Benue). How can he (Gov Lalong) says that he warned me? Who is he to warn me? He can only advise me.”
Governor Ortom narrated that his deputy, Benson Abounu, had met Governor Lalong at a function outside the state recently where Lalong said he still stands by his statement, warning governor Ortom to desist from the anti-open grazing law.
According to Ortom: “my deputy told me that he had a discussion with Lalong recently at a function, where he said that he had to apologize to me over his statement because of pressure on him, saying, he stands by his earlier statement.
“He also told people that he introduced this Kenya woman in this committee to me, whereas, this woman was introduced to me by Nasir El Rufai, not him.”
The stakeholders’ meeting which commenced Sunday night at the new banquet hall, government house, Makurdi dragged to early hours of Monday.
It would be recalled that Governor Lalong at the peak of the herdsmen attacks on Benue State told newsmen in Abuja that he had warned governor Ortom against the new anti-grazing law but he would not listen.
