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Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has opened up about the difficult period following his exit from office, revealing how many of his appointees abandoned him and how the Buhari-led Federal Government allegedly withheld funds from the state due to his administration’s anti-open grazing law.
In a widely circulated statement making rounds on social media, Ortom recounted that after leaving office, most of his political appointees deserted him during a time when he needed support the most. He attributed the non-payment of salaries, pensions, and gratuities during the twilight of his administration to deliberate withholding of funds by the Federal Government as punishment for enacting and enforcing the anti-open grazing law.
Ortom disclosed that he was summoned to Abuja and offered a deal: if he repealed the law, the Federal Government would release ₦40 billion to clear salary arrears and another ₦35 billion for infrastructural development. He said he rejected the offer outright, choosing to stand by his principles despite the severe financial consequences for the state.
“The situation was exploited by opposition politicians who used it against me,” he stated. “Some of my aides were recruited by the Federal Government. It was a difficult moment for me; sometimes I wept.”
The former governor described the period as emotionally taxing, noting that the abandonment by his former appointees added to the pain. He emphasized that he remained resolute in his decision not to compromise on the anti-grazing law, which he viewed as essential for protecting farmers and curbing violent herder-farmer clashes in Benue.
Ortom’s revelation has reignited discussions about the political and economic pressures faced by state governments that implemented anti-open grazing legislation during the Buhari administration. Many residents and observers have expressed sympathy for his stance, while others see it as confirmation of the federal-state tensions that characterized that era.
The former governor’s candid reflection comes amid ongoing debates about governance, loyalty, and the cost of standing firm on policy decisions in Nigeria’s complex federal system.
