Ortom blasts Benue APC chairman over ‘errand boy remark’

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Sunday berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in the state for describing him as an errand boy to his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike.

The APC Chairman in the state, Austin Agada, had last week slammed the governor for travelling around the country with Wike and four others who belong to the G5 group in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He added that Ortom had abandoned governance in Benue and turned himself to the Rivers State governor’s errand boy.

The governor, who reacted to the APC chairman’s criticism in a statement issued on Sunday by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Terver Akase, described Agada as a gang leader.

The statement read: “it was not the first time that the young man who runs APC in Benue as if he is leading a group of thugs would insult the governor of his state in the manner he did.

“A party chairman who was beaten to a pulp in his community Otukpa by aggrieved members of APC who were protesting against the fraudulent governorship primary election he conducted in May this year lacks the moral authority to question the leadership abilities of anyone else.

“Agada and others who write and speak for the APC in Benue State were apparently too young to know that the leader of their party, Senator George Akume as Governor of Benue State between 1999 and 2007, was a very close friend of the then Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili.

Read also:Ortom now Wike’s errand boy, abandoning governance in Benue —State APC

“Obviously, the APC state chairman has also not heard of the long-standing relationship between Governor Aper Aku of Benue State and Governor Melford Okilo of Rivers State during the 2nd Republic. Agada has no idea that cordial relations among state governors are vehicles for development.

“Governor Ortom’s relationship with Governor Wike is built on mutual respect, progress, and benefit of the two states. The Governor has, at different times, invited his Rivers counterpart and several other governors to Benue State to commission numerous projects, the same way Governor Wike invites him to reciprocate the gesture in his state.

“Last year, during the commissioning of the Ultra-modern Tor Tiv Palace constructed by the Ortom administration in Gboko, the Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, Professor James Ayatse conferred chieftaincy titles on Governor Wike, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

“The Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, was also honoured with a chieftaincy title at the same event. The ceremony was preceded by the commissioning of four major roads, which Governor Ortom constructed in Gboko.

“Only last month, the G-5 Governors made up of Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi Ugwanyi of Enugu, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Seyi Makinde of Oyo were in Makurdi on the invitation of their host and member of the group, Governor Samuel Ortom where they commissioned a number of projects.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now