Benue’s state and governance are under war

The scholarly piece How Leaders Effectively Manage Conflicts was brilliantly written on June 27, 2018 and is currently earning rave reviews throughout the world.

Conflicts are without a doubt one of the most severe dangers to effective governance and the continued existence of states around the world. Conflict reporting has thus occupied a major position in contemporary journalism, just as many developing-world countries are among the most afflicted regions on Earth, where humankind is increasingly threatened with extinction.

Nigeria and the rest of the Samuel area in Africa are hotbeds of terrorism and violence, despite the fact that Nigeria has had its own share of serial battles and terrorism. Unfortunately, there have been pockets of unnecessary conflicts in Nigeria, particularly in the last six and a half years of the administration of Daura, Katsina-born retired military dictator Major General Muhammadu Buhari. These conflicts have been stoked by persons identified as belonging to the Fulani ethnicity, which is the nationality of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Fulani militia’s war on Nigeria has become pervasive, vast, and deadly, yet the promoters of the war, as well as those supporting the conflict, are protected by the powers-that-be in Abuja. Entrepreneurs are those that parade the Nigerian media space, expressing general and specific threats without much accountability for the simple fact that powerful people in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration have thrown their weight behind these war mongers and terrorism advocates.

Benue State, along with Southern Kaduna and Plateau State, is the hottest location in Nigeria’s war zone, with a connection between all of these places facing deadly attacks and violence by armed Fulani militia being that they are nearly entirely Indigenous peoples and Christians. In Benue State, there has been a lot of bloodshed in the last six years.

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The people of Benue state are fortunate in having as their state governor someone who is forthright and tells it like it is, in the figure of Samuel Ortom. His outspokenness and tenacious defense of his people’s fundamental right to life has made him many enemies within President Muhammadu Buhari’s current central government, which has concentrated so much on cows and Fulani herders to the cost of national security.

The governor of Benue State has come dangerously near to death on several occasions, most recently when he was ambushed by some brave terrorists. Ironically, a group openly claimed responsibility for the attack just hours after he survived it, but President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration did not act to apprehend, investigate, or prosecute this person or his associates. Instead, the President has repeatedly verbally attacked Governor Ortom because he refused to give up any land for the construction of Fulan cow settlements.

As I previously stated, the attack on Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State was claimed by a Fulani organization known as the Fulani Nationality Movement, or FUNAM.

FUNAM stated it planned to assassinate Ortom on Saturday, but the operation was thwarted due to a minor communication blunder.

Ortom, according to a statement by one Umar Amir Shehu, is opposed to open grazing and Fulani interest in the country.

“Our attention has been called to media headlines today speculating about who attacked Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom,” states the statement headlined “Why we attacked Ortom.”

“Yes. We did, in fact. The attack was carried out by the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM). We have legitimate reasons for doing so. In 15 nations, we acted on behalf of millions of Fulani people.

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“It’s a case of retribution against an infidel who has spent his life and fortune destroying Fulani values and legacy.

“This historic attack was carried out by our brave fighters to send a powerful message to Ortum and his collaborators: wherever you are, once you are against Fulani long-term interests, we will bring you down. This is a strong cautionary statement. We hope that those who take us for granted understand the clear message.

“ONE THING IS FOR SURE: WE ARE GOING TO KILL HIM. That task will be completed one day, and very soon.”

“The attack was carried out by eleven FUNAM operatives. Ortom was able to get away today due to a little technological communication blunder. He will not be so fortunate the next time. We can give him and his followers our assurance.”

Ortom’s property at Tyo-mu village, along the Makurdi – Gboko route, had been assaulted by herders, as I mentioned before.

The governor retaliated by alleging that the murder attempt was related to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, or MACBAN.

According to the governor, MACBAN had finalized plans to murder him over his stance on open grazing.

Ortom claimed that during a recent meeting in Yola, the Myetti Allah made the decision to eliminate him.

He stated that his life is in the hands of the Supreme God and that no Fulani man can kill him. He also stated that he got intelligence that the Association planned to assassinate his security aides and capture him alive.

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Several months after his personal brush with the Fulani terror network’s sudden and preplanned execution, the Benue State governor has continued to be a thorn in the flesh of Abuja’s political authorities only because his administration passed a law prohibiting open grazing of cattle, which the President finds unacceptable, despite the fact that the extant Land Use Act of 1978 ceded power over land to the President.

President Muhammadu Buhari, through his spokesman Garba Shehu, devotes a significant amount of public time and resources to criticizing the governor of Benue State. Even when the governor was interviewed by a privately owned television channel, Channels Television, the station was investigated by the National Broadcasting Commission, which is the present administration’s attack dog against media plurality and freedom.

My interpretation of the many attacks sponsored by the Federal government against Benue people, when compared to specific threats made against Benue State residents and the numerous acts of bloodcurdling violence perpetrated by armed Fulani attackers, shows that there is indeed a declared war on Benue State, and that the President does not even hide his partisanship in all of these displays of savagery.

The governor has shown exceptional endurance as a competent leader and a great conflict management in all of these intentional attacks and conflicts against the people of Benue State by infamous conflict entrepreneurs. I just finished reading an essay on conflict resolution that was published in 2008, and the authors told us the following.

“The ability to detect and resolve problems in a timely and equitable manner is defined as conflict management. On a daily basis, leaders must deal with conflict resolution. Leaders must remember to deal with the crisis and resist the urge to get involved in unrelated matters.

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Leaders must communicate with their teams on a regular basis and establish a vision. Conflict in the workplace can stifle employee productivity and hinder the fulfillment of company goals. Leaders are frequently faced with the task of negotiating conflict in a smooth manner. A detailed study of the problem is required to identify the contradicting source.

The following are some essential leadership tactics for dealing with conflict management:

Act in a responsible manner. When dealing with conflict, a leader must be responsible. Respect for the leader may be impacted if the leader is not responsible.

Determine the source of the disagreement. A detailed examination of the circumstance is the first step in diagnosing the dispute. It is critical for leaders to remember not to sidestep the problem. The leader must make every effort to reduce or eliminate the conflict. The leader must realize that they are not competing for popularity, and that not everyone will agree with all of their actions. Before taking action, the leader must make certain that there is proof of misconduct. It is critical to avoid unnecessary conflict and to act before the problem has become irreversible. Others will perceive the leader as hesitant to make decisions if he or she takes too long to act.

Keep your boundaries in place. In order to preserve boundaries, a leader must aid and support others. Additionally, the leader must have sufficient self-awareness to avoid crossing lines. A constant awareness of limits will aid in the establishment of standards that will help prevent additional disagreement.

Differences should be respected. Rather than influencing others, the leader must accept their individual abilities. Far too frequently, a leader takes the side of those he or she trusts the most and fails to take advantage of their staff’ different skills. A leader must strive to recognize and value everyone’s contributions to the workplace.

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Make a goal for yourself. Doing things that others dislike is part of being a leader. This includes resolving conflicts. When only one person’s point of view is addressed, the leader must use caution. The leader must gather data, grow in self-awareness, and be prepared for the unexpected. Identifying a goal for managing conflict should be a priority.