Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday dismissed a claim by Fulani socio-cultural organisation, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore that its vigilance outfit, said to be embedded in the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), is functional in Benue State and 35 other states of the federation.
The governor unmistakably said that the group was free to operate in other states of the federation, but certainly not in Benue State. Ortom was reacting to claims by the organisation that its vigilante outfit was embedded in the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and was already functional in 36 states of the country.
Ortom noted that the desperation exhibited by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to float a security outfit across the country was a lucid demonstration that the group had an ulterior motive.
The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Terver Akase, regretted that; “after receiving doses of bashing from Nigerians against its first attempt, the pastoralist organisation has decided to hide under the canopy of VGN to actualise their agenda.
What Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore fails to understand is that VGN also does not have constitutional right to operate in all states of this country. The notion that the group was registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) does not vitiate any section of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to confer on it the powers to operate in every state of Nigeria.
“Vigilante is a neighbourhood arrangement, not a national programme. It is therefore a vain attempt by Miyetti Allah to try to force their security outfit on all states of the federation.”
Governor Ortom noted that the vigilante group run by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and VGN can operate in other parts of the country, except Benue State. In the letter the group wrote to the governor claiming that he maligned them in his statement against their plan to operate a security outfit in Benue State, the governor said his lawyers would respond to the group.
He said without fear or intimidation; that he would not be distracted by antics and threats of the Fulani socio-cultural organisation in the task of providing good governance, security and dividends of democracy to people of the state.
