News
Afghanistan Better Than Nigeria Under Buhari, Ortom Blasts APC
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday, said Afghanistan was currently better than Nigeria under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ortom said statistics have shown that Afghanistan currently fares better than Nigeria under the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
He made the remark in response to claims by a member of the APC and an aspirant of the Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu House of Representatives seat, Philip Agbese, that he has turned “Benue State into Afghanistan.”
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, the governor, who described Agbese as a “blind Bartimaeus” in the Bible, noted that the Buhari government has turned Nigeria into a killing field.
A statement by Ikyur titled: “Agbese as Blind Bartimaeus” reads: “We read the widely published news, credited to one Philip Agbese who claims to be an aspirant for the Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu House of Representatives seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“In that news story, he made scathing remarks against the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom. He claims that the governor ‘has turned Benue into Afghanistan’.
“This is absurd. Although this is undeserving of attention, we feel constrained to respond to it, if not for anything, at least, for the unsuspecting members of the public to be properly informed.
“For anyone who may have read the news item as claimed by the APC member, it is obvious that this is a typical example of the attitude of political jobbers who grab at anything to survive.
“How can Agbese allege that Governor Ortom is turning Benue into Afghanistan? It is Nigeria, currently led by President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC that can be likened to Afghanistan.
“Available statistical indices from reliable and respected organizations clearly show that Afghanistan is at the moment better off than Nigeria under APC.
“What then becomes of Nigeria under APC which they have turned into a killing field? Here, there is no sanctity of lives as terrorists reign freely from state to state?
“Our future development is threatened as school children are being kidnapped daily with reckless abandon. It is no longer safe for anyone to travel freely on our roads. Is it not clear that the APC is leading Nigeria to the Golgotha?
“Agbese is truly in the dark. Nigeria is currently experiencing escalating insecurity challenges with no end in sight. This has engulfed the entire country with terrorists and bandits becoming so emboldened that they operate only in the daytime. Is Agbese not aware of how three Benue citizens were kidnapped in Zamfara State on their way to Kebbi State for their National Youth Service?
“The outgoing United Nations Representative, Edward Kallon a few days ago gave scary reports on terrorism in the country. He said the Global Terrorism Index had listed Nigeria as the Third Most Terrorised Country in the world. Is this also the making of Governor Ortom?”
The governor lamented that Nigeria’s economy has virtually collapsed under the Buhari-led administration.
He said: “Nigeria’s economy under the APC administration has virtually collapsed. At the moment, the exchange rate of naira to a dollar is almost N600 a Dollar. In 2015 when the APC took over the reins of government, the Naira was exchanging for about N180 to a Dollar.
“The cost of living is also skyrocketing. Every sane citizen that has the responsibility of catering for a family will agree that the standard of living in the country is daily going beyond the reach of everyone. Already it has gone beyond the reach of an average Nigerian.”
The governor also dismissed Agbese’s claim on the delay of salaries in the state, stressing that the challenge is a national problem.
He stressed that his administration is prompt in the payment of salaries to workers in the state.
“Agbese harps so much about salaries and pensions. Let it be known to him and all his co-travellers that the issue of delay in payment of salaries is a national problem. It is not peculiar to Benue state alone.
“Even at that, the Ortom administration is prompt in payment of workers’ salaries while also working tirelessly to find ways to clear the salary arrears and end the pension crises which was occasioned at the height of the inflation era under the APC-led administration.
“This is why the administration has domesticated the Pension Law in the state. As of today, the Benue State Government has saved more than N1.5billion into the PENCOM Account. This means that workers retiring a few years from now will not need to worry about their pension or gratuities.
“In any case, is it not laughable for someone who claimed to be a lawyer and is aspiring to be a federal lawmaker to be unable to distinguish areas of how to direct his campaigns? How can he be relying solely on unsubstantiated claims of delay in payment of workers’ wages to liken Benue to Afghanistan?”
Ortom accused the aspiring lawmaker of exhibiting ignorance which could be akin to someone who has lost touch with his home.
The governor challenged Agbese to base his campaign on how to emerge victorious during the polls and stop spreading falsehood about him.
“Philip Agbese is exhibiting a pathetic ignorance akin to the blind Bartimaeus in the Holy Scriptures. He’s not conversant with the real sufferings of Nigerians and Benue State. I feel this should be deleted, please. Or it is either the young man has completely lost touch with home, or he has only spoken up to act a script to be noticed so that the emperor of his party will impose him as a sole candidate for Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu federal House of Representatives ticket.
“Instead of campaigning against the incumbent, Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo, Agbese is sounding incoherent because of the towering achievements of the person he should be challenging. Electorates from this federal constituency should be wary of this acclaimed lawyer who has chosen to take side with the oppressors rather than show empathy.
“Whichever way it is, we appeal to the conscience of those close to Agbese to get his ears and whisper to him that churning out falsehood is not the way to winning the heart of the electorates.
“He should base his campaign on countering his opponents in the forthcoming elections rather than hoping to hide behind Governor Ortom to win electoral favours.
“Agbese should concentrate on campaigning against Dr Ottah Agbo who is a formidable opponent and leave Governor Ortom out of his local politics,” he added.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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