Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has warned that the Federal Government will be held responsible if the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom is assassinated.

He stressed that if the Benue State governor is killed,  the country could be plunged into another civil war.

Governor Wike stated this while reacting to attempt on Governor Ortom’s life by fifteen gunmen who trailed him to a river bank in Tyo Mu along Makurdi/Gboko road in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State on Saturday.

“If you kill Ortom, then be prepared to bury Nigeria. If anything happens to Governor Ortom, the Federal Government will be held responsible and they should be prepared that there will be no more Nigeria.”

The Rivers State Governor recalled how the former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Major General Jamil Sarham, and All Progressives Congress chieftains had concluded plan to assassinate him during the 2019 general election.

Governor Wike described as disturbing the growing trend where the life of incumbent governors are brazenly threatened.

The Northern State’s Governors Forum Forum has condemned in totality the attack on the convoy of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, describing it as a disturbing development which must be investigated thoroughly.

Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State Simon Bako Lalong in a statement said the attack on Governor Ortom was yet another daring attempt by criminals to cause mayhem not only in Benue State but in the nation as a whole.

While praising the security details of the Governor for repelling the attack and securing the Governor and members of his entourage, Lalong said relevant security agencies must carry out detailed investigation to fish out those behind the attack and their sponsors.

According to him, all hands must be on deck to tame this degeneration of security in the country that threatens the corporate existence of the nation.

Lalong said the Northern Governors stand in solidarity with their colleague and the entire people of Benue State, assuring that they will continue to engage and support security agencies in their duty of securing the region and nation at large.

The Tangale Community Development Association (TCDA) says nothing will make them to surrender their sovereignty to the whims and will of the State.

A statement signed by General Secretary of its branch Overseas, Lamela Lakorok, made available to newsmen, said the community was aware that the random arrests of their youths in Billiri and Kaltungo was meant to instil fear in their people.

“The Mai Todi was also arrested and taken to Abuja because he dared stand against the dictator and neo-colonizer of Tangale land.

According to the statement, the puppet in the palace has started offering money to groups trying to buy their favour which should be rejected, adding that accepting such would amount to selling their birth rights.

The governor, the statement said, is an enemy of Tangale and should never be welcomed in any religious and tribal gathering in Tangale land.

“He has nothing but contempt for us and our way of life. Beware of the strategy of the enemy seeking to destroy Tangale land”, the statement said.

The statement therefore enjoined the people to stand firm in honour of their customs, culture, and traditions.

Here under is the full Press Statement:-

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, we hereby make a statement to the public regarding the ongoing crisis in Tangale land. For the past two weeks since the election of Dr. Musa I. Mai Yamba as the Mai Tangle, the
Gombe state government has made concerted efforts to intimidate our youths and women by indiscriminate arrests of young men and women, including one of our traditional kingmakers.

The wanton disregard for the rule of law and heavy-handed use of law enforcement by the state government is a clear evidence of complete disregard of human rights. Why is Tangale land still under curfew? Because the governor hates Tangale people and has made his evil intent public on several occasions.

We want to make clear to the Governor of Gombe state and his puppet in the palace of Mai Tangle, that the
Tangale people are not willing to surrender their sovereignty to the whims and will of the state.

We are aware that the random arrests of our youths in Billiri and Kaltungo is meant to instil fear in our people. The Mai Todi was also arrested and taken to Abuja because he dared stand against the dictator and neo-colonizer of
Tangale land.

The puppet in the palace has started offering money to groups trying to buy their favor. He is now trying to woo churches into welcoming him. He is a wolf in sheep clothing. We had warned in our previous press release, that the man is not interested in the Tangale people or their welfare. The fact that he is trying to buy acceptance with money tells it all. However, those who sell their birthright in Tangale land will end up weeping like the biblical Esau.

Therefore, let it be known to the world that Tangale people will not sell their birthright to any foreigner (s).
To the people of Tangle, we encourage you to stand firm in honor of your customs, culture, and traditions.

We have reached a point in our history where we either stand to defend our traditional institutions or
surrender them to the descendants of the Dan Fodio caliphate who have made their goals very clear.

Remember that the man from Mallam Inna is not known in Tangale land. He lived his life at the palace of the
Emir of Gombe.

He has never associated himself with the Tangale people. He is a puppet of the emirate system who believe they can conquer the Tangale tribe with the stroke of a pen. If you have any doubts about this, look at his newly designed regalia online. None of our past Muslim Mais made their royal garments a symbol of religious conquest. This man is an impostor! Consider the consequences of giving up your cultural values. If the state can place a puppet on the throne of Tangale by force, it can easily do the same in your clans.

Soon, we will have more strangers sitting on all the clan thrones. Then Tangale will be no more. We encourage every Tangale person to resist the temptation to give up the fight. We are headed to court to seek redress and we will never surrender. For the sake of our posterity, we will never surrender!

For the sake of our heroes, we will never surrender!

Finally, in view of the impending court case (s) on this matter, we implore every Tangale citizen to shun
anyone who seeks to court them or their organization in the name of the Mai Tangle palace. No impostor
should receive the honors due HRH Dr. Musa I. Mai Yamba.

The governor is an enemy of Tangale and should never be welcomed in any religious and tribal gathering in Tangale land. He has nothing but contempt for us and our way of life. Beware of the strategy of the enemy seeking to destroy Tangale land. I’m sure A word to the wise is enough.

Long Live Dr. Musa Idris Mai Yamba, Long Live Tangale Land, Long Live Gombe State, Long Live Nigeria

Signed:
General Secretary, TCO
For Tangale Community Overseas (USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, and Australia)
For Tangale Community Development Association
Lamela Umaru

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, says, by politicising insecurity, the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government plunged the security troubled states into an unimaginable scale of banditry that may not end soon.

The governor was speaking when he received the Board of Editors of Independent Newspapers Limited, led by the company’s Managing Director and Editor- in -chief, Steve Omanufeme, at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Thursday.

Governor Wike said when Rivers experienced issues of insecurity in 2015, he ran to the Federal Government but rather than offering support, they dismissed it as politics out of hatred for the State and desire to see the remain ungovernable.

“They didn’t send special forces to Rivers as they’re sending to other states now. They refused to support me because they didn’t want the State to be governable.

“Crime knows no boundary. It can be you tomorrow. If they had brought out zeal to fight crime, with seriousness, and collaboration irrespective of the party you belong to, good result will be achieved.

He further added: “Banditry will never end since they’ve politicised the issue of security. I told them don’t politicise issues of security. They’re paying the price. Whatever you sow, you will reap. If you sow peace you’ll reap peace, if you sow trouble, trouble will always be with you.”

The Rivers State Governor said it is difficult to fight crime in situations when cultists are arrested, people go to Abuja to tell the Inspector General of Police(IG) and the Chief of Army Staff that those arrested are their boys just to secure their release and let them off the law.

Governor Wike commented on the denials trailing the $1billion Dollar withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account and said it is shameful that a government that is fighting corruption will condole such, allowing both the money and the weapons to go missing, unaccounted for.

“Now, the National Security Adviser says the $1billion Dollar they took from our Excess Crude Account without even paying us our 13 percent derivation is gone. They said they’ve not seen the weapons.

“But this one the National Security Adviser is saying that they misquoted him. I tell you, nobody is misquoting anything. We are aware that there was no weapon.

“Even the Chief of Army Staff said he didn’t collect money. So where did the money go to. This is a government fighting corruption and the press is not talking.”

Speaking further, governor Wike berated the Nigeria press for losing their strength of voice to speak truth to authority with vehemence as they did during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“As regards this country, we are where we are because of you (journalists). In 2014, you were bought over to pull down the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I had told Trade Union Congress (TUC) the other day, and asked then where are you that you see things in Nigeria getting worse; insecurity, increase in price of everything and you say nothing.

“Now, you’ll not pull down Nigeria again because it is not a minority man that is in power. Where is the voice of the people. Where is the voice of the journalists ? Have your mouth be sealed up, dumped and you can’t talk again?

“Is it because you’ve seen power greater than you? When Jonathan was in power, he respected fundamental human rights. He allowed freedom of speech.

“Nobody would be arrested but now, you can’t talk because of fear that you’ll be arrested. That’s the situation we found ourselves. So, when I see journalists these days, I just shy. But you owe this country alot.”

Governor Wike said if Nigeria was truly a country, the former GOC of the 6 Division of the Nigeria Army in Port Harcourt would have been dismissed because of his political involvement during the 2019 general elections. According to him, even the former Chief of Army Staff was so exposed when he lobbied the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and attempted to rig 2019 General Election.

The governor also wondered how the APC Federal Government will forget so soon that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala they are celebrating today as Director General of World Trade Organisation had been accused of running down Nigeria’s economy when they assumed office in 2015. It is now obvious that PDP means well for Nigeria because she has been part of PDP administration in the country.

Managing Director, and Editor-In-Chief of Independent Newspaper, Steve Omanufeme said they brought the notification of Award as Governor of the Year, 2020 for Infrastructure Development.

Omanufeme stated that the Board of Editors met and affirmed that Governor Wike has been consistent even in his second tenure in developing infrastructure that includes roads, using the Real Madrid Football Academy to empower Rivers youths, and thriving as strong but lone voice speaking truth to power always.