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2019: Vote Buhari, Be Cursed, Benue Indigenes Warned …As Ortom Sacks Cabinet, Plans Defection
President, National Association of Benue State Indigenes (NABENSI), Moses Mwarga Aji, has said that any Benue indigene who votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 general elections would be cursed.
Aji, who was reacting to arraignment of former Benue State governor, Gabriel Susuam, by the Federal Government, over alleged illegal possession of arms, challenged Buhari to withdraw his inaugural remarks that he belongs to everybody.
The NABENSI President told newsmen in Kaduna that Buhari’s action and body language has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he belongs to those of Fulani extraction only.
“I think President Buhari should go back and withdraw his Inaugural speech that, ‘I’m for nobody, I’m for everybody’. President Buhari has shown clearly that he belongs to the Fulani extraction, and apart from that, he does not consider any other ethnic group in this county outside the Muslims and Fulani herdsmen,” he said.
The national president, who described the arrest and arraignment of the former governor of Benue State as unfortunate, argued that a lot of people have been carrying arms illegally in the country without any arrest by the Federal Government’s security agencies.
“A lot of people have been carrying arms illegally moving around with sophisticated weapons and nothing is happening to them.
“Where did the Fulani people get AK-47 from, and moving around, busy killing people every now and then but nothing has happened to them; yet Buhari did not comment?
“How many arms were caught with Susuam? They are victimizing him because he’s a staunch member of PDP. But the prayers of the masses will guide him and protect him, irrespective of the frustration and threat being meted out to him as former governor.
“A lot of people possess arms illegally, a lot of people are coming in with arms illegally and nothing is happening to them. Nobody has questioned them. Our borders are porous and people are getting arms in anyhow, why must it be the former governor of Benue State that’s illegal. What Federal Government is doing to him will make him more popular and attract more people’s sympathy with him politically,” he explained.
Aji enjoined indigenes of Benue State to remain calm, be vigilante and peaceful, saying there would be no development without peace.
“But if you’re push to the wall, you have no option than to react. I said this without fear of favour. Buhari has shown to the entire world that he is unfair.
“Miyetti Allah has been making provocative statements and utterances, and later executes them. Can anyone compare lives of human beings with cow? Miyetti Allah has been openly saying that the attacks are retaliatory killings and nobody or DSS arrested them.
“When over 200 were killed in Plateau, nobody was arraigned, it happened in Benue; Miyetti Allah claimed responsibility, and nothing happened to their leaders.
“January 1, many were killed in Benue, January 13th, Miyetti Allah came out and said there will be more bloodshed in Benue, and it comes to pass but nobody arrested their leaders the claimants, so how can anybody say Buhari has been fair to Benue people who voted him massively against their Christian brother, Goodluck Jonathan?
“Let me send him a message to him, which Buhari has lost in the entire Benue State, nobody, will vote for him in 2019. And anyone who vote for him in 2019 will be cursed,” he stated.
Meanwhile, in an apparent move to checkmate perceived disloyalty and insubordination in his administration ahead of 2019 general elections, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has sacked his State Executive Council (SEC).
A statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Anthony Ijoho, SAN, says four commissioners and seven special advisers were, however, to retain their portfolios.
The commissioners, who retained their positions include, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Michael Gusa, Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Professor Dennis Ityavyar, Commissioner for Finance, Mr. David Olufu, and that of Lands, Survey and Solid Minerals, Mr. Bernard Unenge.
According to the statement, the special advisers, who have also retained they portfolios were those of Development Cooperation, SDGs and NEPAD, Dr Magdalyne Dura, Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Matthew Mnyam, Special Adviser on Gender, Employment and Labour Matters, Chief Ode Enyi, Special Adviser on Government House Administration, Mr. Thomas Anajav, Special Adviser on Media, Information and Technology, Mr. Tahav Agerzua, Special Adviser on Security, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Hemba, retired, and Special Adviser on Special Duties, Mr. Joseph Odaudu.
The statement says “the partial dissolution of the SEC takes immediate effect and the outgoing members of council were to handover to their permanent secretaries or most senior director as the case may be.”
The SSG quotes his principal as expressing profound appreciation to outgoing members of the SEC for their services to the state, and wished them well in their future endeavours.
Meanwhile, all may not be well in the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as there are strong indications that Governor Samuel Ortom may likely dump the party anytime soon.
Our source reliably gathered that the decision of the governor to quit might not be unconnected with the alleged plan to stop him from contesting the 2019 governorship race in the ruling APC.
It was gathered that the Presidency was not happy with the governor for confronting the Federal Government on the killings in the state, and had reportedly decided to replace him in the forthcoming governorship election.
The plan, according to a source, was alleged to have been executed at the APC’s top level by a leader of the party in the state, Senator George Akume.
An impeccable source told our source that a one-time House of Representatives member, Hon Emmanuel Jime, who was denied the ticket of the party in 2015, was being considered to fly the party’s flag in 2019.
The source cited the party’s recent national convention as a pointer to what was to come as T-shirts, posters and customised table water, bearing Jime’s name as well as mobile toilets bearing Jime’s posters for the Benue governorship election flooded the Eagle Square, Abuja.
Akume, whose influence had helped Ortom become governor in 2015, controlled the party structure from ward to state levels in the just concluded congresses.
Ortom had recently told journalists that he came to the party without a structure in 2015, hence he was not bothered about the development.
However, it was learnt that Ortom had constituted his campaign team at ward and local government levels, comprising the names of his loyalists who were detailed to prepare for any eventuality.
One of the aides to the governor told our source in Makurdi, last Friday, that members of the campaign team were those earlier pencilled to take control of party structure at ward and local government levels but were denied.
He added that the same people were to take control of the campaign team which would be used when the governor decides to move.
The source said, “It is true that we don’t want to take any chances because it is clear that the chances of our principal to fly the APC’s flag in the forthcoming election are very slim. It is no longer news that the governor does not control the party’s structure, and there was a glaring signal at the national convention in Abuja a few weeks ago where our governor was reduced to a mere spectator.
“His name was not even mentioned for introduction by the master of ceremony. His days in the APC are numbered; he is just waiting for the appropriate time to move. The campaign team we have constituted is in preparation for the plan to move.”
According to the source, the only delay for Ortom’s defection was the uncertainty around the party he was moving to.
“There is no specific party for now. That is why the governor is taking his time. But he is already establishing contact with the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Some of his supporters are already in the SDP, while chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are also prevailing on him to join them.”
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Terver Akase, debunked the plans of his principal to defect.
“There may be disagreements between the two leaders, which is natural, but that has been put to rest. The issue of defection is not on the ground at all for now,” Akase said.
Similarly, the state Chairman of the party, Abba Yaro, denied the alleged plans of the governor to defect, saying “he is going nowhere.”
When asked of the party’s plan to bring Jime as an alternative to Ortom, the party chairman said, “There is nothing like that. All those things he did at the Eagle Square in Abuja are a way of exercising his freedom. Let him come to Benue and tell us.”
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.