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PDP elders back Ortom , say Akume out to destroy Benue

Austine Tule, Makurdi

Members People’s Democratic party, PDP, Elders Forum from Masev, Iharev and Nongov extractions of Benue State have reacted to a recent call by the Honourable Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume for declaration of State of Emergency in Benue and probe of Governor Samuel Ortom by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.


The PDP Elders Forum drawn from the four Local Government Areas of Makurdi, Guma, Gwer-East and Gwer West who made their position known weekend during a press conference in Makurdi, the Benue State capital said, Senator Akume has declared war on Benue state and there was need to caution him.


Chairman of the forum, Engr Samuel Utoo who briefed Journalists on behalf of the elders said, “It is no longer news, gentlemen of the press, elders of our great party, the PDP, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, that on Monday, August 30th, 2021, a former governor and immediate past senator in our zone and current Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, held a press conference in faraway Abuja, the nation’s capital, where he, flagrantly and among other things, called for the federal government, where he serves as Minister, to declare a state of emergency with the view of dismantling all democratic structures in Benue state.


“As elders and leaders of thought, we find it so strange that, our own son who has been Governor for eight years and Senator for twelve years, and enjoyed the support of same Benue people, will seek that, a democratically elected government be dismantled through such a crude and illegal means just because of his loss of election in 2019 which has given rise to the continuous defection of members of his political party, the APC into the PDP, thereby diminishing his popularity and political future as a leader.

“It is also very disturbing that a true and patriotic Nigerian (if, indeed, Senator George Akume is one) will take a position against His Excellency, Governor Samuel Ortom, whose call for ban on open grazing with an alternative in ranching, as the global best practice for animal husbandry, will elicit any negative reaction when the entire country has taken sides with our governor on this, unless and except such a person is an agent of the same enemy the entire nation is struggling so hard to tame.


“Most worrisome, gentlemen of the press, is the fact that, the same day Senator Akume held this bizarre press conference in Abuja was the same day His Excellency, Gov Samuel Ortom had invited all Benue leaders, (Akume inclusive) and across party divides, to a stakeholders meeting in Government House here in Makurdi to, among other things, discuss the recurrent security challenges confronting the state with thousands of people being killed in the last couple of years with over two million indigenes of the state, holed up in tents in Internally Displaced People’s Camps, scattered across the state, a condition that has not earned a simple word of sympathy or solidarity visit from the Honourable Minister to either those who have lost relatives or those living in those IDP camps.


“In the same press conference, Dr Akume openly denied attacks on Benue people orchestrated by Fulani herdsmen militia, fabricated figures as those that have accrued to the state in the last six years of the Ortom administration and threw caution to the wind when he deliberately refused to mention the almost two million persons living in IDP camps. His grovelling praise singing of president Buhari and the demonizing of governor Ortom was anything else but an attempt at blackmail, mischief and backstab the governor, and indeed, the entire people of Benue state, all with the aim of getting power in Benue by all means possible. Repeated allegations of pilfering of local government funds, Governor Ortom’s possession of militia outfits, and other sundry accusations are fabrications to support a personal objective of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.


“How strange it sounds that, Senator Akume, while Governor Ortom was in APC, loudly buttressed the inadequacy of the N28 billion bailout loan to offset wages arrears inherited by the Ortom administration and his passionate explanations of the governor’s judicious application of the bailout funds at various stakeholders meetings. He went to great lengths, on record, to explain the financial challenges of the state at that time. All this has changed since the Governor left the APC for the PDP.


“The Livestock and Community Volunteer Guards which our son, the Honourable Minister alleges are Governor Ortom’s thugs and militia outfits, is indeed a creation of the law enacted by the Benue State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor. More specifically, the Community Volunteer Guards Law was assented to in 2000 by Akume himself as Governor and have only enjoyed certain degree of amendments by the Ortom administration.


“These are, surely the faulty lines found in the accusations leveled against the governor by Akume and which illicit our reaction today.


“It is a well-known fact that Governor Ortom does not patronize thugs or militia, hence his amnesty programme and recovery of assorted small arms and ammunition from criminals was executed successfully in collaboration with local authorities and the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM). The Mines Advisory Group, MAG was responsible for the destruction of the recovered weapons and ammunition.”


It could be recalled that Senator George Akume had in his press conference on Monday, 30th August, 2021 in Abuja bashed Governor Ortom for baring his mind over the state of insecurity in Nigeria and the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government to tackle it.


The Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs also accused Governor Samuel Ortom of corruption and called on Anti-graft Agencies; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to probe him.


The former Governor of Benue State, George Akume, among other things also called on Governor Ortom to tender an unreserved apology to President Muhammadu Buhari for using foul language and for operating outside the set rules of engagement between the State and the Federal Government.

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