RESPOND TO ISSUES, SHUN MUDSLINGING, ABBA MORO TELLS ORTOM

MAKURDI, Benue, Nigeria – A former Minister of Interior and chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Patrick Abba Moro, has asked the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, to always endeavour to respond to issues of governance raised by well-meaning citizens from the state, rather than resorting to name-calling and mudslinging.

Moro, who gave the advice in a press statement, is one of those that have been taking a swipe at the Ortom-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Benue State for what they described as crass incompetence and total leadership failure.

The Ex-Minister was reacting to the latest statements by the Benue governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Terver Akase and his Special Adviser (SA) on Local government and chieftaincy affairs, Hon. Titus Zam. The duo in their separate releases reviled and lambasted the ex-Minister for speaking against their principal’s style of leadership.

Zam who served as secretary of Benue chapter of ALGON when Moro was the Chairman years back described his one-time colleague as “a deeply jealous person and unhappy individual” while saying that “the fake Comrade Abba Moro has no justification to even pass a comment on issues of probity and governance in Nigeria at large and Benue State in particular due to his poor records of performance at the two levels of his public service career.”

However, Moro maintained that no amount of name-calling and attempt by those employed by Ortom to malign his name would stop him from speaking out against the governor’s maladministration and mismanagement in the running of the affairs of Benue State.

His words: “I am amazed but not surprised at the vituperation of the paid agents of Governor Samuel Ortom. These latest outbursts are certainly the fallout of the outcome of the recent expanded caucus meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which held on the 1st of August, 2017 in Makurdi.

But let the governor and the government of Benue State be not in doubt that I, like several other concerned citizens of Benue State, will continue to speak out against the perceived diversion, misappropriation and mismanagement of the commonwealth of the state. No amount of name-calling and casting of aspersion on my person will deter me from asking questions about the misuse of funds that have accrued to Benue State since the inception of the current APC-led government in Benue State.

It is within my legitimate right to ask for accountability and transparency of a government from a governor whose governance mantra is “In God we trust” and who always claim that he seeks the face of God in whatever he does. Let me remind Titus Zam that my family life style is anchored in the tradition of the land. Denigrating my family life would not answer the myriad of questions of leadership inertia in the state.”

He added: “Questions abound that require answers from any responsible government. What has happened to the several bailout funds that government anti-graft agencies have accused the government of diverting? What has happened to the several Paris club refunds? What has happened to the monthly federation allocation to Benue State and internally generated revenues of the state?

What has happened to the state of emergency declared by the governor on salaries? Why is the government of Benue State unable to pay salaries of workers in the face of this stupendous revenue accruals? Why has the government and governor of Benue State not been able to request the President or any other prominent Nigerian, like we saw in some other states, to come to Benue State to commission even one project since coming to power? Is it a coincidence that Charly Boy chose Benue State to kick-start his “Our mumu don do” to sensitize people on the benefits of good governance? Why is the government of Benue State unable to secure the lives of the people from herdsmen, armed bandits and robbers?

These are salient questions begging for answers. Name-calling, scandalizing, criminalizing and maligning Abba Moro would not provide answers, which must be provided now or in 2019. What has my toga of comrade or unionism – Marxism – socialist orientation got to do with the monumental infrastructural deficit and decay and the intractable problem of internal insecurity in Benue State? What happened to the over N700 million contract scam in the supply of cars to Assembly members? What has happened to the verification of Local government workers purportedly undertaken by the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and his phantom committee for which money was approved and apparently released?

“I am sufficiently tutored in “The man died who keeps silent in the face of tyranny” to remain quiet in the face of crass mismanagement of the resources of Benue State. Benue people are traumatized, are in pains and are becoming increasingly afraid of government because of the anti-people policies of the government in Makurdi. And we should not talk? No amount of malicious, defamatory and derogatory diatribes against my person will force me to stop speaking against the maladroit way and manner Ortom is handling the affairs of our dear state.”

The PDP stalwart further stated: “For Titus Zam and Terver Akase, I dare say that apart from the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment that did not meet the expected curve of expectation, my public service career has records of remarkable achievements. In Okpokwu Local Government Area where I was Chairman of Council, I constructed clinics, bridges, market stalls, classrooms, graded roads, sunk bore holes, always paid salaries and allowances of workers, constructed the only hall and guest house in the local government; As chairman of Benue State Association of Local Governments (ALGON), we constructed large lecture halls in Benue State University, Makurdi and Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo amongst others; As Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council, Federal University of Agriculture, the only known study centre in Makurdi was constructed under my watch.

“In the Ministry of Interior very many landmark projects were undertaken. Buses were purchased for the welfare of staff and 1000KVA generator to power the entire Ministry’s secretariat. For the first time since its establishment, we constructed and automated the passport office for the Nigeria Immigration Service at her service headquarters in Sauka, Abuja; We constructed and commissioned the indoor automated range in the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps headquarters in Sauka, the first and only of its kind in West Africa amongst other projects; we operationalized the Federal Fire Service and Federal Executive Council approved the National Fire Safety code under my watch. In Bayelsa and Ekiti States, in conjunction with the state governments, we constructed and commissioned Prison headquarters in Yenagoa and Ado-Ekiti; We constructed medium prisons in Nnewi and Koton-Karfi, two hundred bed prisons in Keffi and Suleja amongst numerous other projects. Certainly, these are not marks of failure.”