By Our Reporter
Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed and his Benue counterpart, Governor Samuel Ortom have settled their differences over verbal altercations on herdsmen/Fulani activities
Mohammed expressed regret over his utterances at Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers state where host Governor Nyesom Wike and Adamawa State counterpart, Governor Ahmed Fintiri, reconciled the feuding fellow governors.
Following a warm embrace between Ortom and Mohammed, after the truce brokered by Wike and Finitri, the Bauchi Governor told newsmen, “We don’t mean to divide the country, to divide our people.
“We are still friends and brothers and we will move forward because most of those issues are fully resolved. Whatever misconception generated, that me and my brother, Ortom are having problem or with anybody in Nigeria is not true.
“What happened was just an explanation that emanated from a larger Governors’ Forum that we spoke on the security of the nation and talked of the failure of security infrastructure which everybody knows is under purview of federal government.”
Governor Ortom, in gratitude to Wike and Fintiri, for their intervention, said, “We have accepted that it was wrong of us to have that kind of outburst that went out. From today we have learnt.
“We are all fallible humans and are subject to mistakes. And when we make mistakes , it is a plus for us if we correct them. Moving forward, we shall live together. The Fulani and Tiv people have cohabitated for a long time and there is no issue whatsoever.
“We look forward to federal government (FG) stooping down to conquer by accepting that, yes, they have failed, so that together the state and the local governments can come together to find lasting solution to this country .
“As at today, there is no equity, no fairness, no justice in our country. That is why everywhere in Nigeria there are issues. So we look forward to FG partnering with us. This time we need not talk about partisan politics.
“We must come together, not to talk ethnicity or religion. We must come together as brothers and sisters who have no other country than Nigeria, to work together towards a common cause that will solve the problem we have.”
Thanking Ortom and Finitri for yielding to mutual reconciliation, Governor Wike gave, “God the glory today that those differences have been sorted out. We are members of one political party. As the Bauchi and Benue Governors said, we don’t want the inefficiency, incapacity of the FG in handling the issue of insecurity in the country to rub on us.
“Everybody knows FG has failed in providing security for this country. Of course you will not blame them (Ortom and Mohammed). They are under pressure from their various states. It is not as if they have any personal issue.”
Perceiving the federal ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as rejoicing in the Ortom/Mohammed feud, the Rivers Governor said, “They (opposition APC) will not be happy today that two of them have now made up to work together. ”