Ortom to Akume: showcase your achievements, leave me alone

Gov Samuel Ortom of Benue has advised Sen. George Akume to showcase his achievements in his 11 years sojourn as senator, “instead of castigating me at every opportunity”.

“Akume should showcase his score card. He has been in the senate for more than 11 years and the constituents want to hear what he has done.

“He appears obsessed with abusing me every minute; that is not what the people want to hear,” Ortom told newsmen on Monday in Makurdi.

The governor spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Mr Tahav Agerzua, at a special interaction with newsmen.

“The man (Akume) keeps insulting me at every turn. But, while he is raising questions about me, more questions are being raised about whether he has been an asset or liability to the people,” he said.

He also criticised a situation where politicians arrogate divine powers to themselves, stressing that only God had the power to decide the fate of man.

“Nobody should boast that he can make someone governor. Only God can do that. Mr Aper Aku became the first civilian governor of Benue without anyone’s support. Rev. Fr Moses Adasu moved from the Church to the Government House without a political godfather.

“So, it is wrong for anyone to claim that he made me governor and could unseat me,” he said.

The governor dismissed claims that he recently gave N2 billion to PDP’s eight governorship candidates, and wondered where such money could have come from.

He also rejected claims that he was afraid to contest the PDP governorship tickets with other aspirants, pointing out that he ran the entire PDP governorship primary before moving to the APC to pick its ticket in 2014.

Ortom alleged that Akume was struggling to pit him against PDP governorship aspirants because he rejected the automatic ticket offered by the APC.

“PDP will not force Ortom on its members. Let all aspirants canvass for votes from the delegates and refrain from media wars,” he said.