Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has defeated his closest rival, Emmanuel Jime, at the Government House Makurdi polling unit.
Ortom of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 124 votes to defeat Mr Jime of the All Progressives Congress who polled 108 votes.
The governor’s win at the polling unit is unprecedented as it has always been the tradition that the ruling party in the state cannot win the unit.
Benue State Governor, Gabrile Ortom on Saturday, joined hundreds of other electorates to exercise their franchise at his Nzorov ward, polling unit 003 in Benue.
Details shortly…
Thirty-six political parties have declared support for the re-election bid of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and other PDP candidates in next Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.
The parties under the auspices of Forum of Registered Political Parties, Benue State Chapter, spoke through the forum’s chairman, Mr. Godwin Odeh, when they visited the governor at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi.
Odeh stated that they took the decision after carefully assessing the goodwill and efforts of the governor in the defence of the Benue Valley.
He stressed that they resolved to channel their networks through their structures to mobilise their members to vote for the governor next Saturday.
He stated that through their expanded networks, they had fought tirelessly to ensure that Benue land was not surrendered to both external and internal oppressors.
Nine governorship candidates of various political parties as well as many candidates for the National Assembly, who lost in the recent elections, also expressed support for the governor’s re-election.
Ortom expressed appreciation to the various parties and their candidates for their support, stressing that together, they would work to ensure victory for him and the PDP on Saturday.
*Says Mr. President is beyond party issues
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom on Wednesday said that he has no personal grudges against President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ortom, who has defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was at the Nigerian Air Force base, Makurdi to receive President Buhari, whose plane landed at the base around 10.37 am.
According to him, Mr. President is beyond parties as he has made adequate security arrangement for his visit to Benue state.
Speaking with journalists shortly before the President’s plane landed, Ortom said “Mr President is beyond party, he is the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and whatever he is doing, it is our responsibility to give him adequate protocol.
“He is our President, and he is beyond party and so I am doing all the needful.
“There is no special thing in what I am doing, it is what I am supposed to do as governor of Benue State irrespective of party because he remains my President and I respect him.
“I have no personal issues with him; we talk about policies and issues there is no personal grudge.
“So, I am here to receive him, and I have made adequate arrangement. This State belongs to Mr President. So he has access, he can be here and do whatever he wants.” he stated.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has declared that he is not afraid of the proverbial federal might in his 2019 re-election bid, saying that he will continue to defend his people, come what may.
Ortom, who spoke with journalists in Abuja on Monday, however said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should be held responsible if anything untoward happened to him.
The governor accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of persecuting him since he defected from the governing APC to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“If I die today, the Federal Government should be held responsible because they are planning to eliminate me. I am not going to stop. I will continue to defend my people.
“I know that I am being persecuted because the cabal don’t like me. They do all kind of things. EFCC has been chasing me and my staff for the past 10 months. And I have not done anything wrong that they have been chasing me all over the place. Persecution is so much; there are threats on my life”.
According to him, overbearing influence of political godfathers in the APC was responsible for his inability to pay pensions and salary arrears of workers before January 2018, saying however that he has been able to offset the arrears the moment he got the godfathers off his back.
He took a jibe at President Muhammadu Buhari over the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, saying the President might “not be aware” of the development.
The governor said, “Is it the first time that Mr. President is not aware of something. When we were attacked and he directed the IGP to relocate to Benue State, but the man went to Nasarawa. And when the President came, we confronted him, he said was not aware. And there are many other things which Mr. President has not been aware of that you know.
“Even when the CJN was to be arraigned, was Mr. President aware? We were told by the Vice President, that Mr. President was not aware. Did you not hear him? Or did you not read it on the pages of newspapers?
“So, maybe this one too, he is not aware. Because I have not met him one-on-one. I want to assume that he may not be aware. I am not holding brief for him. So, you journalists too can help us get him to be aware.
“That is the challenge we have. But you heard our mother of the nation; Mrs. Aisha Buhari came out crying that the husband is no longer ruling. That it is the cabal. And we men should talk. If I undress now, you will see that I am a man.
“So we must talk. That is the point I am making. I am doing it in support of our mother, the First Lady. It is a clarion call that all of us should stand up and chase that cabal away because we did not elect any cabal in that Villa.”
Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom said on Tuesday that he is still a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Ortom refuted media reports that he planned to defects to People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
There has been rumours that Ortom is leaving the APC to pursue is second term governorship ambition on the platform of another party.
But speaking to news men in Government House Makurdi, Ortom denied the media report.
He said dissolution of cabinet is a continuous exercise to inject fresh people with new ideas in government.
The Governor debunk rumours that it was targeted at some persons saying even his closest aides were affected.
In a related development the coordinator of “I stand with Ortom” group Comrade Dan Nyikwagh has commended Ortom for reshuffling his cabinet.
Nyikwagh advised the governor to inject competent hands to help drive his vision for the development of Benue state.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said he will keep speaking out on the invasion and ongoing killings in the state until the people of the state get justice.
He spoke when a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, South South Zone, led by Archbishop God-Dowell Oyibo Avwomakpa, visited him at the Peoples House in Makurdi.
He said if those saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property had acted promptly on reports which he made about threats to invade the state, subsequent massacre could have been averted.
Governor Ortom reiterated his call for the resignation or sack of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, for his unprofessional conduct of taking sides with the invaders and lack of capacity to stop the killings.
According to the Governor, the sacking of communities and killings had continued after the burial of the 73 victims adding that several security operatives had been killed and their rifles taken by the Fulani herdsmen.
He said herdsmen attacks had become an enormous national problem which patriots across the country must rise up to tackle decisively.
The Governor commended the people of the South-South for rallying support for the state in its time of need more than any part of the country and prayed that God would reward them.
Earlier, Archbishop Avwomakpa called on President Muhammadu Buhari to defend the people of the state as Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the country.
He said the delegation visited to get first-hand information so as to know how to cry to fellow Christians in other parts of the world to come to the aid of fellow Christians in Benue State.
The delegation had also visited and donated relief items to some of those displaced by the crisis in one of the seven camps.
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A Makurdi High Court presided over by Justice Adam Onum has ordered the publisher of Nigerian Concord, Mr Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi to pay N5 million to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, as damages for libel.
Delivering judgement in a case instituted by the Governor, Justice Onum also ordered the publisher to retract the libelous publications in national newspapers, television, radio as well as social media platforms.
The Governor had demanded N10 billion for damages.
Speaking with newsmen after the judgement, the Governor’s lawyer, Mr Andrew Wombo, expressed satisfaction with the judgment and pledged that he would take legal steps to enforce it.
He stated that the objective of the case was to prove to the entire world that Mr Oluwarotimi’s publications against the office and person of the Governor were false, fabricated and mischievous.
Barrister Wombo stated that although the motive for instituting the case were not for financial benefit, he would make sure the defendant pays the money as a deterrent against those bent on publishing falsehood against the Governor.
Throughout the proceedings Mr Oluwarotimi failed to appear in court and was not represented by any defence counsel.
Court processes were however served on him through substituted means in Daily Trust, The Nation newspapers as well as on his Facebook page.
A Makurdi High Court presided over by Justice Adam Onum has ordered the publisher of Nigerian Concord, Mr Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi to pay N5 million to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, as damages for libel.
Delivering judgement in a case instituted by the Governor, Justice Onum also ordered the publisher to retract the libelous publications in national newspapers, television, radio as well as social media platforms
The Governor had demanded N10 billion for damages.
Speaking with newsmen after the judgement, the Governor’s lawyer, Mr Andrew Wombo, expressed satisfaction with the judgment and pledged that he would take legal steps to enforce it.
He stated that the objective of the case was to prove to the entire world that Mr Oluwarotimi’s publications against the office and person of the Governor were false, fabricated and mischievous.
Barrister Wombo stated that although the motive for instituting the case was not for a financial benefit he would make sure the defendant pays the money as a deterrent against those bent on publishing falsehood against the Governor.
Throughout the proceedings, Mr Oluwarotimi failed to appear in court and was not represented by any defence counsel.
Court processes were however served on him through substituted means in Daily Trust, The Nation newspapers as well as on his Facebook page.
…Briefs Buhari on security situation in Benue
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday called for the arrest of leadership of Meyetti Allah group in the state.
The group is opposed to the Anti-Open Grazing Act expected to come in force on the 1st of November, 2017.
Speaking with State House correspondences after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Ortom said that the leadership is posing a threat to lives and properties in the state.
He said “I came to brief and Mr. President about the security situation in my state, about the threat about Meyetti Allah that have even taken us to court. The threat that they will make the Anti-Open Grazing Act impossible for the people of Bennie State. I intimated him and also generally the security situation in the state.
“Commonalities we have brought it to its nearest minimum and we believe that the security agencies that are working with us will sustain the tempo. We will do everything to provide security to protect lives and property.
“Well, I am a law abiding citizen and a governor, Benue people are law abiding that is why in the midst of the provocation from herdsmen attack, we took time to ensure that we put the law in place, sign it and we are going to start implementation 1st of November and we hope that people will comply.
“And everyone in Benue State should appreciate the fact that it is the law that is giving us protection. It is the intention of this government to ensure that we give protection to lives and property through the rule of law.
“So, anyone staying in Benue State must comply. One thing I must say is that the law protects herdsmen and farmers. We are against cattle rustling; those who are caught will be penalized. Those who want to stay in Benue State and do cattle business must ranch their cattles, this is what we are saying.
“As far as we are concern, the law is not targeted at any individual, group of people of ethnic group, it is meant to protect everyone who is living in Benue State.” he said
Stressing that Meyetti Allah has taken the government to court, he said that it is not possible for Meyetti Allah to overrun Benue and make it ungovernable.
He added “It is not going to be accepted. We stand by what we have done, we have done our legitimate, lawful role as governor as citizens of the state, so, we don’t see how somebody will sit somewhere and say that we should not implement a law that has restored peace in our place.
“If you want to bring confusion I want to assure you that I have directed the security men to arrest those people. I am calling for the arrest of the leadership of Meyetti Allah, to be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.
“We have for a long time celebrated impunity in this country, we cannot continue like that. And so if they come out with this kind of threat, the evidence are there, they did a world press conference, so what is the security agencies doing? These people must be penalized.” he said
According to him, there is enough land in the state for ranching of cattles.
“Those who want to apply to get land to ranch they should do it, there are couple of ranches around. We are also going to provide land in designated places in the three senatorial zones, these have been approved by the state executive council and as many that are interested in having these ranches, we will give them the land.” he stated
The governor said that he also briefed the President about the ecological problem in Benue State and his major challenge of salaries payment.
According to him, it was not intentional that salaries are being owed.
“It is not deliberate and we have not diverted money whether bail out or Paris club anywhere, the records are there for anyone to scrutinize and see.
“The situation is that I inherited N69 billion arrears on pensions, gratuities and salaries. Then over N70 billion contractual obligations and so it has been a huge burden on our finances and so Mr. President too has promised to find ways that the state can also get support.
On measures being taken to stop corruption in the state’s wage bill, he said “The issue is that we must admit that Benue State Wage Bill is one of the highest in this country, N7.8 billion. My predecessor admitted that there was mistake in negotiating with them but they resisted attempts to bring it down, now we have no choice.
“We have said it especially when the leadership of the labour congress came and we dialogue and we have set up technical committees comprising technical team from labour congress and technical team from my government, they will look at it and review wage bill and ensure that leakages are eliminated, salary padding and ghost workers and all that.
“I want to assure you that we are going to prosecute anyone who is found culpable in the salary inflation. Honestly, N7.8 billion wage bill for Benue State is out of place and there is no way we will continue in this manner.
“I and my council, we have looked at the wage bill and compare with what people are collecting elsewhere in the country and we have done to an average of N4.5 billion that we just have to review it to that. Because an average income for Benue State both from federation account and IGR stands at slightly above N6 billion.
“So, if you are paying salaries alone you are have a deficit of N1.8 billion a month. It is impossible and we have security issues to tackle and several other things that government must run and so it becomes a big problem.
“I don’t have problems with my workers because they understood it, we are transparent, everybody has seen what we are doing but we have to find a way around it. I can assure you that in the next few weeks that is what we are working on and by the grace of God we will come to a reasonable figure that we will be able to pay salaries as at when due.” he said
He added “I came to appreciate the President him and to encourage him to be steadfast and committed to his leadership. I believe that what God brought him to achieve in this country, he will definitely achieve it. Now we see him bouncing every day to the glory of God. We appreciate this and we look forward that God will help him to take us through 2015 to 2019 and then 2019 to 2023.
“That is our prayer because for now, there is no credible candidate as far as I know that has the capacity to take Nigeria out of where we are today. I believe Mr. President has the capacity and let God sustain his health and consummate his healing so that Nigeria can be on the right path,” he said.