By Our Correspondent
The Benue State branch of the All Progressives’ Congress, (APC) has said it will not afford to keep quiet over Governor Samuel Ortoms’ misrule in the state saying it will continue to lend its voice on current state of affairs especially as it concerns state governance.
In a statement, made available to Salient Times on Wednesday, signed by the State party Chairman elect, Comrade Austin Agada said;, "the governor’s unguarded utterances that are bringing our state to public ridicule must be checked,” pointing that, “evil reigns, when people of conscience decide to unwittingly keep sealed lips in the face of glaring absurdities
Agada asserted that APC in the state, as the major opposition party with dominant population whose mandate was robbed in a controversially complicated happenstance, having gauged the overwhelming incompetence and drought of progressive governance ideas on the part of the current Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) government, “history again beckons on our party, (APC) to urgently wrestle power from PDP in the next electoral dispensation so as to allow Benue State, taste a bit of development like other states of the federation
He said the State is greatly dismayed at the manner with which Gov Samuel Ortom and his few supporters have been clutching at straws to foist the reasons for his legendary poor performance as governor on the Leader of our party, Senator George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
“These attacks on our Leader have been brewed consistently over time and intermittently unleashed with great mischiefs.
“But while we may have tolerated this bashing for so long, the governor has again embarked on a dangerous campaign of calumny, trying so desperately to run down the towering profile of Senator Akume, who is one of the very few Nigerian past governors without criminal records.
“The target of this campaign of calumny, we ultimately know is to lower Senator George Akume who is highly celebrated by many Nigerians in the eyes of the public thereby, weakening his chances of emerging as the National Chairman of the APC, now that majority of APC members across all states of the federation are clamouring for his emergence to the position.
“Let it be known to all APC faithful and the whole world that the fraud allegation currently levelled against Senator Akume by Gov Ortom and his government is clearly an act of political witch-hunt.
“Why conjure a haphazard probe report about the Akume administration of many years now, same way this same government had levelled 107 billion naira allegation against the Gabriel Suswam administration but later nullified same; will the same government not overrule itself tomorrow over these frivolous reports that seek to indict Senator Akume today,” he queried.
The Chairman further said the allegations are nothing but diversionary tactics.
“This administration has a history of raising unfounded claims and excuses, each time more money comes into the state.
“You will recall that since the day it was confirmed that the federal government has made available another tranche of over 18 Billion Naira bailout to Benue State, Gov. Samuel Ortom has become strangely more loquacious and hostile, not just to his benefactor, Senator Akume but also to the Benue civil servants and pensioners that he has refused to pay their salaries and pensions;
the internally displaced persons that he has described as thieves stealing his cassava from the farm and now, rudely referring to all Benue people as drunkards who idly start drinking as early as 9am daily, till dawn which you all know cannot be the true identity of the Benue people who have been known over the years as very hard working and great farmers.
“Never for once has Benue State been this stagnant in terms of policy framework and development,” he stated
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