Ortom Alleges Buhari Administration Withheld Funds Over Anti-Grazing Law
By Suleiman Abubakar Rimi Uku Lafia
Former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has alleged that his administration was starved of federal funds during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari due to the state’s anti-grazing law.
Ortom made the revelation in a statement currently circulating on social media, where he recounted the challenges his government faced while implementing the law aimed at addressing farmer-herder conflicts in Benue State.
According to the former governor, the alleged financial constraints resulted in the inability of his administration to fully meet obligations such as the payment of salaries, pensions, and gratuities to civil servants.
He claimed that at one point he was invited to Abuja, where he was reportedly offered a financial bailout on the condition that the anti-grazing law be repealed.
Ortom said the proposal included ₦40 billion to clear salary arrears and another ₦35 billion earmarked for infrastructural development in the state.
However, he maintained that he rejected the offer, insisting that repealing the law would undermine the security and interests of farmers in Benue State.
The former governor further alleged that some members of his administration were later recruited by the Federal Government, a development he described as part of the political pressure his government faced at the time.
Reflecting on the period, Ortom described it as one of the most difficult moments of his political career, noting that he felt abandoned by several of his appointees after leaving office.
“It was a difficult moment for me, sometimes I wept. My appointees abandoned me when I left office,” he said.
The claims have continued to generate debate across social media platforms, particularly regarding the implementation of anti-grazing laws and the broader farmer-herder crisis in parts of the country.
