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Why I Left APC, Ortom Reveals
As reactions continue to trail the exit of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Governor yesterday gave reasons why he defected from the party
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Tahav Agerzua, in Makurdi, the Governor explained that the lack of internal democracy within the ranks of the party in the state contributed in no small measure for his decision.
According to him, “you have a situation where a powerful individual high jacked every structure of the party and excluded all other stakeholders including senators and members of the National Assembly and key party members.
“Besides, major stakeholders in the state advised Governor Ortom to leave the APC because of the federal government’s alleged complicity in the ongoing killings in the country including Benue State.
“They advised him to change platform so that they can fight against the return of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
The stakeholder are scared that if Buhari comes back in 2019 the killings would be worst because it is clear that he supports the conquest and occupation agenda of his ethnic group, the Fulanis.
“The people claimed that the APC at the centre is an accomplice because you see key Ministers of the administration, key Ministers of the National security council, like that of Internal Affairs, Defence, IG of Police and the Chief of Army Staff coming out to condemn the anti open grazing law of the state which is a major landmark law because it opposes the Fulani agenda.
They are using grazing to conquer and occupy. “But now both the government of the APC and the party machinery are now trying to change the narrative of the Benue killings to blame the victims instead of the aggressors. That is why they are now claiming that he is sponsoring the killings
. “Is it Ortom that is killing in Plateau, Adamawa, Zamfara and other states of the federation? So are you saying that the governors of these states are killing their people? Okay since you know the killers, whoever they may be why not arrest the people involved?
“Why the Benue stakeholder believe that the federal government is complicit in the killings is their failure to arrest the leadership Miyetti Alla Kautal Hore who had earlier issued threats against Benue and eventually executed that same threat even after the matter was reported severally? “The other reason is Senator George Akume’s inordinate ambition to become senate president that has made him to sacrifice anyone or anybody or even his people to achieve his ambition.
“We gathered that He has been promised the senate presidency and he has sacrificed Ortom and his people.
You know he contested the position in 2007 and 2011. His whole life is to become the senate president at the expense of anything and he is satisfied. It is that ambition that made him to sacrifices Ortom to the federal powers.
“Another issue is Senator Akume’s antecedents. It was not possible for Ortom to contain Akume. Nobody has been able to keep a lasting relationship with Akume in Benue State, nobody has the capacity. It is impossible to cohabit with Akume politically for long.
It is impossible. Ask the likes of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Terhemba Shija his former campaign Director General. Is it Senator Gemade, is it Senator David Mark, is Gabriel Suswam? Name them.
“Akume talked about Ortom’s non performance, it cannot be that issue because all the people listed here did not have performance issues yet Akume fell out with them. If you talk of non perforce it means that Akume has indicted himself because he brought Ortom and then nominated key officials in his cabinet and he asked non of them to resign on account of non performance.” Continuing he said, “everyone know that Ortom became Governor in time of war, what we are going through is a warlike situation where 18 out of 23 local government areas were under siege.
It means Ortom is Governor in time war which is a different ball game apart from the economic challenge. “Apart from that he has recorded major milestones in health, education, security and infrastructure.
Lots of projects are being executed in the rural areas. Bridges, roads and electricity. There are about 70 projects ongoing presently across the state.
“Moreover there is a grand conspiracy against Governor Ortom from APC forces from within and outside the state which was uncovered. This is not only against his reelection but against the wishes of the people of the state.
“Another issue is the APC administration’s failure to deliver on its campaign promises of security, economic rejuvenation and fight against corruption.
They have clearly failed. “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, seems to be going after perceived enemies of the government.
There no visible federal government presence in Benue, all federal roads are in terrible state. So from all these Ortom saw that his interest and those of the people cannot be protected in the APC so he had to leave.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.