19th May, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
MURIC CONDEMNS THE HONORING OF MAJOR GIDEON ORKAR BY GOVERNOR
SAMUEL ORTOM OF BENUE STATE
The decision of the Benue State government under the leadership of
Governor Samuel Ortom to immortalize Major Gideon Gwaza Orkar by promising to
name a 9.7km road after him tomorrow, Saturday 20th May, 2023, has been
strongly condemned by the Muslims Rights Concern (MURIC).
The Muslim group described Ortom's action as immoral, illegal,
insensitive, irresponsible and outrageous.
The condemnation was contained in a statement signed and released
on Friday, 19th May, 2023, by the Chairman, Kano State chapter of the Muslim
rights body, Malam Hassan Sani Indabawa.
He said:
"The Muslim group wonders what might be the motive of governor
Ortom behind honoring a person found to have committed treason against the
state and eventually tried, convicted and executed in July, 1990.
"Major Gideon Orkar masterminded a violent and bloody coup
against the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida in
April 1990. However, the coup failed due to ethnic and religious undertone that
accompanied the speech made around 4:00am on April 22, 1990.
Orkar, in his radio broadcast to the nation, said he had
seized power on behalf of the country's "Christian-dominated southern and
Middle Belt areas", which he claimed had been "reduced to
slavery" by the mostly Muslim north.
"He, therefore, made a stunning statement by announcing the
excising of five (5) Northern states of Bauchi, Borno, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto
from Nigeria.
This led some patriotic military officers to rally in support of
the Federal Military Government (FMG) when they found out it was a plot
targeting their very existence.
"Although the coup was identified to be masterminded by Major
Gideon Orkar, the trial and subsequent evidences showed that he was just a
puppet and not the original mastermind behind the coup. The ideological
arrowheads of the coup were Lt. Colonel Anthony Nyiam, Major Saliba Mukoro and
Major Cyril Obahor. Intelligence findings further suggested it was at a later
stage that Orkar was recruited to join the ill-fated coup plot. In fact, it was
said that millionaire businessman, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru was the top
financier of the coup. The coup attempt was said to been the bloodiest in
Nigeria’s history.
"Mr Orkar and 41 other plotters were captured by government
troops and subsequently, tried and convicted of treason. They were executed by
firing squad on 27th July 1990.
"So what feat is governor Ortom celebrating. Is he honoring
Orkar for failure, or is it the daftness, foolishness or crass incompetence
exhibited by Orkar that he is honoring? Orkar was known to be bigoted,
unintelligent, irrational, amoral, disoriented and a drunkard.
"Every responsible Nigerian should understand that one can
only venture on a suicide mission by deciding to arbitrarily "excise"
any part of the country without anticipating dire consequences.
"The just concluded 2023 presidential elections have
poignantly amplified the futility of divisive politics. The Labour Party (LP)
and its Presidential candidate Mr Peter Gregory Obi are yet to recover from the
shock of the humiliating defeat they had suffered as a result of their ethnic
and religious politics.
"We are surprised that, instead of governor Ortom to be
remorseful of his past misdeeds and prepare to give account of his eight (8)
years of wasted stewardship, he is now bequeathing another hate-filled and
divisive legacy to the incoming administration.
"For the past 8 years, Governor Ortom wasted much of his time
in hate mongering and needless antagonism against President Muhammadu Buhari
and refused to build bridges and establish pragmatism, especially with Northern
politicians. His leadership lacks focus and has disconnected his state from the
national scheme of things and as well as hurt the relationship between the
state and other tribes. He practically made Benue a pariah state.
"We strongly berate Governor Ortom for blaming his
nonperformance on herders’ attacks. Some States like Borno, Kaduna etc suffer
consistent, devastating and more horrendous terrorist attacks but yet are able
to execute and commission plenty of quality legacy projects.
"It tells a lot that Benue people rejected and revolted
against Ortom by wisely voting for APC. No governor of Benue State had ever
suffered such humiliating rejection.
"It is our fervent prayers that such shall be the fate of
every fake and self-serving politician, especially the Muslim haters like
Samuel Ortom."
Mallam Hassan Sani Indabawa,
Chairman,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
Kano State
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